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DIARY   AND   CORRESPONDENCE 


OF   THE  LATE 


AMOS    LAWRENCE; 


WITH  A 


mf  JjrtJnwi  0f  %mt  licQttitits  in  |is 


EDITED    BY    HIS    SON, 


WILLIAM  R.  LAWRENCE,  M.  D. 


BOSTON: 

QOULD      AND      LINCOLN, 

69    WASHINGTON    STREET. 

NEW  YORK:    SHELDON,  LAMPORT  &  BLAKEMAN. 

LONDON  :  TRUBNER  &  CO. 

1855. 


according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1855,  by 

WILLIAM    E.  LAWRENCE, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts 


Stereotyped    by 

HOBART    &    BOBBINS, 

Hew  England  Type  and  Stereotype  Foundery. 

Press  of  George  C.  Rand  &  Arery. 


Go   fjia 
ONLY    SURVIVING    BROTHER, 

AMOS     A.     LAWRENCE, 

OF      BOSTON, 


THE   EDITOR. 


PREFACE. 


AMONG  the  papers  of  the  late  Amos  Lawrence  were  found  copies 
of  a  large  number  of  letters  addressed  to  his  children. 

With  the  hope  that  the  good  counsels  there  given,  during  a  succession 
of  years,  extending  from  their  childhood  to  adult  age,  might  still  be 
made  profitable  to  their  descendants,  he  had  caused  them  to  be  carefully 
preserved. 

These  letters,  as  well  as  an  irregular  record  of  his  daily  experience, 
were  scattered  through  many  volumes,  and  required  arrangement  before 
they  could  be  of  use  to  those  for  whom  they  were  intended. 

As  no  one  else  of  the  immediate  family  could  conveniently  undertake 
the  task,  the  editor  considered  it  his  duty  to  do  that  which  could  not 
properly  be  committed  to  one  less  nearly  connected  with  the  deceased. 

The  present  volume,  containing  what  was  thought  most  interesting 
among  those  letters  and  extracts,  was  accordingly  prepared  for  private 
circulation ;  and  an  edition  of  one  hundred  copies  was  printed  and  dis 
tributed  among  the  nearest  relatives  and  friends. 

It  has  been  thought  by  many  that  the  record  of  such  a  life  as  is  here 
portrayed  would  be  useful  to  other  readers,  and  especially  to  young 
men,  —  a  class  in  whom  Mr.  Lawrence  was  deeply  interested,  and  with 


VI  PKEFACE. 

whom  circumstances  in  his  own  life  had  given  him  a  peculiar  bond  of 
sympathy. 

Although  many,  among  both  friends  and  strangers,  have  urged  the 
publication  of  the  present  memorial,  and  some  have  even  questioned 
the  moral  right  of  withholding  from  the  view  of  others  the  light  of  an 
example  so  worthy  of  imitation,  much  hesitation  has  been  felt  in  sub 
mitting  to  the  public  the  recital  of  such  domestic  incidents  as  are 
treasured  in  the  memory  of  every  family ;  those  incidents  which  cast  a 
Bunbeam  or  a  shadow  across  every  fireside,  and  yet  possess  little  or  no 
interest  for  the  busy  world  without. 

At  the  solicitation  of  the  "  Boston  Young  Men's  Christian  Union," 
the  "  Boston  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,"  and  the  students  of 
Williams  College,  through  their  respective  committees,  and  at  the 
request  of  many  esteemed  citizens,  the  pages  which  were  prepared  for 
the  eye  of  kindred  and  friends  alone  are  now  submitted  to  the  public. 
Personal  feeling  is  forgotten  in  the  hope  that  the  principles  here  incul 
cated  may  tend  to  promote  the  ends  for  which  the  subject  of  this 
memorial  lived  and  labored. 

The  interest  manifested  in  his  life,  and  the  tributes  rendered  to  his 
memory,  have  been  a  source  of  sincere  gratification  to  his  family ;  and 
they  would  here  tender  their  acknowledgments  to  all  those  who  have 
expressed  their  interest  and  their  wishes  in  regard  to  this  publication. 

The  present  volume  is  submitted  with  a  few  unimportant  omissions, 
and  with  the  addition  of  some  materials,  received  after  the  issue  of 
the  first  edition,  which  will  throw  light  upon  the  character  and  prin 
ciples  of  Mr.  Lawrence  during  his  early  business  career. 

His  course  was  that  of  a  private  citizen,  who  took  but  little  part  in 
public  measures  or  in  public  life. 


PREFACE.  VH 

To  the  general  reader,  therefore,  there  may  be  but  little  to  amuse 
in  a  career  so  devoid  of  incident,  and  so  little  connected  with  the 
stirring  events  of  his  times ;  but  there  cannot  fail  to  be  something 
to  interest  those  who  can  appreciate  the  spirit  which,  in  this  instance, 
led  to  a  rare  fidelity  in  the  fulfilment  of  important  trusts,  and  the 
consecration  of  a  life  to  the  highest  duties. 

Mr.  Lawrence  was  eminently  a  religious  man,  and  a  deep  sense  of 
accountability  may  be  discovered  at  the  foundation  of  those  acts  of 
beneficence,  which,  during  his  lifetime,  might  have  been  attributed  to 
a  less  worthy  motive. 

It  has  been  the  object  of  the  editor  to  allow  the  subject  of  this 
memorial  to  tell  his  own  story,  and  to  add  merely  what  is  necessary  to 
preserve  the  thread  of  the  narrative,  or  to  throw  light  upon  the  various 
matters  touched  upon  in  the  correspondence. 

It  is  designed  to  furnish  such  materials  as  will  afford  a  history  of 
Mr.  Lawrence's  charitable  efforts,  rather  than  give  a  detailed  account 
of  what  was  otherwise  an  uneventful  career. 

Such  selections  from  his  correspondence  are  made  as  seemed  best 
adapted  to  illustrate  the  character  of  the  man ;  such  as  exhibit  his  good 
and  valuable  traits,  without  attempting  to  conceal  those  imperfections, 
an  exemption  from  which  would  elevate  him  above  the  common  sphere 
of  mortals. 

Most  of  his  letters  are  of  a  strictly  private  nature,  and  involve  the 
record  of  many  private  details.  His  domestic  tastes,  and  his  affection 
for  his  family,  often  led  him  to  make  mention  of  persons  and  events 
in  such  a  way  that  few  letters  could  be  wholly  given  without  invading 
the  precincts  of  the  family  circle. 


PREFACE 


The  engraving  at  the  commencement  of  the  volume  is  from  an 
original  portrait,  by  Harding,  in  the  possession  of  the  editor,  a  copy 
of  which  hangs  in  the  library  of  Williams  College. 

It  seems  also  fitting  to  include  a  portrait  of  the  Hon.  Abbott  Law 
rence,  who,  for  forty-three  years,  was  so  intimately  associated  with  the 
subject  of  this  memorial  in  all  the  trials,  as  well  as  in  the  triumphs, 
of  business  life,  and  who  was  still  more  closely  connected  by  the 
bonds  of  fraternal  afiection  and  sympathy.  A  few  days  only  have 
elapsed  since  he  was  removed  from  the  scene  of  his  earthly  labors. 

The  grave  has  rarely  closed  over  one  who  to  such  energy  of  char- 
,a$5ter  and  strength  of  purpose  united  a  disposition  so  gentle  and 
!  forbearing.  Amidst  the  perplexities  attending  his  extended  business 
relations,  and  in  the  excitement  of  the  political  struggles  in  which  he 
was  called  to  take  part,  he  was  never  tempted  to  overstep  the  bounds 
of  courtesy,  or  to  regard  his  opponents  otherwise  than  with  feelings  of 
kindness. 

His  wealth  was  used  freely  for  the  benefit  of  others,  and  for  the 
advancement  of  all  those  good  objects  which  tended  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  his  fellow-men. 

That  divine  spark  of  charity,  which  burned  with  such  ceaseless 
energy  in  the  bosom  of  his  elder  brother,  was  caught  up  by  him,  and 
exhibited  its  fruits  in  those  acts  of  munificence  which  will  make  him 
long  remembered  as  a  benefactor  of  his  race. 

BOSTON,  September  1st,  1855. 


LETTERS, 

REQUESTING     PUBLICATION 


Rooms  of  the  Boston  Young  Men's  Christian  Union, 

6  Bedford-street,  Boston,  June  22,  1855. 

WILLIAM  R.  LAWRENCE,  ESQ. 

DEAR  SIR  :  The  undersigned,  members  of  the  Government  of  the  Boston 
Young  Men's  Christian  Union,  some  of  whom  have  perused  the  excellent 
memoir  of  your  honored  father,  feel  deeply  impressed  with  the  desire  that 
it  should  be  published  and  circulated,  knowing  that  its  publication  and 
perusal  would  greatly  benefit  the  young,  the  old,  and  all  classes  of  our 
busy  mercantile  community. 

Remembering  with  pleasure  the  friendship  which  your  father  expressed, 
not  only  in  kind  words,  but  in  substantial  offerings  to  the  treasury  and 
library  of  our  Society,  the  Union  would  be  most  happy,  should  it  comport 
with  your  feelings,  to  be  made  the  medium  of  the  publication  and  circu 
lation  of  the  memoir,  which  you  have  compiled  with  so  much  ability  and 
faithfulness. 

Hoping  to  receive  a  favorable  response  to  our  desire, 

We  are  most  truly  yours, 

THOMAS  GAFFIELD,  H.  K.  WHITE, 

JOHN  SWEETSER,  J.  F.  AINSWORTH, 

JOSEPH  H.  ALLEN,  W.  H.  RICHARDSON, 

CHAS.  C.  SMITH,  FRANCIS  S.  RUSSELL, 

C.  J.  BISHOP,  FREDERIC  H.  HENSHAW, 

F.  H.   PEABODY,  CHARLES  F.  POTTER, 

W.  IRVING  SMITH,  THORNTON  K.  LOTHROP, 

ARTHUR  W.  HO  BART.  GEO.  S.   HALE. 


Rooms  of  the  Boston  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 

Tremont  Temple,  Boston,  July  10,  1855, 
DBAS  SIR  : 

The  Committee  on  the  Library  of  the  Boston  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  beg  leave,  in  its  behalf,  to  tender  you  sincere  thanks  for  your 
donation  of  a  copy  of  the  "  Diary  and  Correspondence  of  Amos  Lawrence." 
It  will  remain  to  the  members  of  the  Association  a  valued  memorial  of 
one  of  its  earliest  benefactors.  It  will  be  yet  more  prized  for  its  record  of 
hia  invaluable  legacy,  —  the  history  of  a  long  life  —  a  bright  example. 

The  Committee,  uniting  with  the  subscribers,  managers  of  the  Associa 
tion,  are  happy  to  improve  this  opportunity  to  express  the  hope  that  you 
may  be  induced  to  give  the  book  a  more  general  circulation.  The  kindly 
charities  of  your  late  lamented  parent  are  still  fresh  in  impressions  of 
gratitude  upon  their  recipients.  They  require  no  herald  to  give  them 
publicity.  The  voice  of  fame  would  do  violence  to  their  spirit. 

Yet,  now  that  "  the  good  man  "  can  no  more  utter  his  words  of  sym 
pathy  and  counsel,  —  that  his  pen  can  no  more  subscribe  its  noble  bone- 
factions,  or  indite  its  lessons  of  wisdom  and  experience,  —  the  press  may 
silently  perpetuate  those  which  survive  him. 

We  must  assure  you  of  our  pleasure  in  the  knowledge  that  the  liberal 
interest  in  the  Association,  so  constantly  manifested  by  your  revered 
father,  is  actively  maintained  by  yourself. 

We  remain,  in  the  fraternal  bonds  of  Christian  regard, 

Yours,  truly, 

JACOB  SLEEPER,  FRANCIS  D.  STEDMAN, 

J.  S.  WARREN,  ELIJAH  SWIFT, 

SAMUEL  GREGORY,  B.  C.  CLARK,  JR., 

LUTHER  L.  TARBELL,  JOSEPH  P.  ELLICOTT, 

ALONZO  C.  TENNEY,  GEO.  N.  NOTES, 

MOSES  W.  POND,  PEARL  MARTIN, 

STEPHEN  G.  DEBLOIS,  W.  H.  JAMESON, 

HENRY  FURNAS,  w.  F.  STORY. 


FRANKLIN  W.  SMITH,  1 
B.  M.  PUTNAM, 
CHAS.  L.  ANDREWS, 
GEO.  C.  RAND, 
H.  C.  GILBERT, 

WILLIAM  R.  LAWRENCE,  M.D. 


Coinmittce 


on 
Library  and  Rooms 


Williams  College,  June  30,  1855. 
DEAR  SIR  : 

The  students  of  Williams  College  having  learned  that  you  have  pre~ 
pared,  for  private  distribution,  a  volume  illustrating  the  character  of  the 
late  Amos  Lawrence,  whose  munificence  to  this  Institution  they  appre 
ciate,  and  whose  memory  they  honor  ;  the  undersigned,  a  Committee 
appointed  for  the  purpose,  express  to  you  their  earnest  desire  that  you 
would  allow  it  to  be  published. 

Very  truly  yours, 

SAMUEL  B.  FORBES, 
E.    C.  SMITH, 
FRED.   W.   BEECHER, 
To  HENRY  HOPKINS. 

W.  R.  LAWRENCE,  M.D.,  Boston. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  17 

right  inclination  to  the  tender  mind  as  are  those  of  the  tutor  in 
the  highest  seminary  to  prepare  it  for  the  business  of  life  and 
intellectual  greatness.  In  the  present  case,  all  the  duties  incum 
bent  on  a  mother  to  teach  her  offspring  to  be  good,  and  conse 
quently  great,  were  discharged  with  fidelity  and  success.  Both 
parents  lived  to  see,  in  the  subject  of  their  care,  all  that  they 
could  reasonably  hope  or  desire.  He  died  November  8,  1827, 
aet.  seventy-three ;  and  his  venerable  widow,  May  2,  1845,  set. 
eighty-nine." 

Mr.  Lawrence  writes,  in  1849,  to  a  friend  : 

"  My  father  belonged  to  a  company  of  minute-men  in  Groton, 
at  the  commencement  of  the  Revolution.  On  the  morning  of  the 
19th  of  April,  1775,  when  the  news  reached  town  that  the  British 
troops  were  on  the  road  from  Boston,  General  Prescott,  who  was 
a  neighbor,  came  towards  the  house  on  horseback,  at  rapid  speed, 
and  cried  out,  '  Samuel,  notify  your  men :  the  British  are  com 
ing?  My  father  mounted  the  general's  horse,  rode  a  distance  of 
seven  miles,  notified  the  men  of  his  circuit,  and  was  back  again 
at  his  father's  house  in  forty  minutes.  In  three  hours  the  com 
pany  was  ready  to  march,  and  on  the  next  day  (the  20th) 
reached  Cambridge.  My  father  was  in  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill ;  received  a  bullet  through  his  cap,  which  cut  his  hair  from, 
front  to  rear ;  received  a  spent  grape-shot  upon  his  arm,  without 
breaking  the  bone ;  and  lost  a  large  number  of  men.  His  vete 
ran  Captain  Farwell  was  shot  through  the  body,  was  taken  up 
for  dead,  and  was  so  reported  by  the  man  who  was  directed  to 
carry  him  off.  This  report  brought  back  the  captain's  voice,  and 
he  exclaimed,  with  his  utmost  power,  '  It  an?t  true  ;  don't  let  my 
poor  wife  hear  of  this ;  I  shall  live  to  see  my  country  free? 
And  so  it  turned  out.  This  good  man,  who  had  served  at  the  cap- 


18  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

ture  of  Cape  Breton  in  1745,  again  in  1755,  and  now  on  Bunker 
Hill  in  1775,  is  connected  with  everything  interesting  in  my  early 
days.  The  bullet  was  extracted,  and  remains,  as  a  memento,  with 
his  descendants.  My  father  and  mother  were  acquainted  from 
their  childhood,  and  engaged  to  be  married  some  time  in  1775. 
They  kept  up  a  correspondence  through  1776,  when  he  was  at 
New  York ;  but,  on  a  visit  to  her,  in  1777  (his  mother  having 
advised  them  to  be  married,  as  Susan  had  better  be  Sam's  widow 
than  his  forlorn  damsel),  they  were  married;  but,  while  the 
ceremony  was  going  forward,  the  signal  was  given  to  call  all 
soldiers  to  their  posts ;  and,  within  the  hour,  he  left  his  wife, 
father,  mother,  and  friends,  to  join  his  regiment,  then  at  Cam 
bridge.  This  was  on  the  22d  day  of  July,  1777.  In  considera 
tion  of  the  circumstances,  his  colonel  allowed  him  to  return  to  his 
wife,  and  to  join  the  army  at  Rhode  Island  in  a  brief  time  (two 
or  three  days).  He  did  so,  and  saw  nothing  more  of  home  until 
the  last  day  of  that  year.  The  army  being  in  winter  quarters, 
he  got  a  furlough  for  a  short  period,  and  reached  home  in  time  to 
assist  at  the  ordination  of  the  Rev.  Daniel  Chaplin,  of  whose 
church  both  my  parents  were  then  members.  His  return  was  a 
season  of  great  joy  to  all  his  family.  His  stay  was  brief,  and 
nothing  more  was  seen  of  him  until  the  autumn  of  1778,  when 
he  retired  from  the  army,  in  time  to  be  with  his  wife  at  the  birth 
of  their  first  child.  From  that  time  he  was  identified  with  every 
thing  connected  with  the  good  of  the  town.  As  we  children 
came  forward,  we  were  carefully  looked  after,  but  were  taught  to 
use  the  talents  intrusted  to  us ;  and  every  nerve  was  strained  to 
provide  for  us  the  academy  which  is  now  doing  so  much  there. 
We  sons  are  doing  less  for  education  for  our  means  than  our 
father  for  his  means." 

Of  his  mother  Mr.  Lawrence  always  spoke  in  the 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  19 

strongest  terms  of  veneration  and  love,  and  in  many 
of  his  letters  are  found  messages  of  affection,  such  as 
could  have  emanated  only  from  a  heart  overflowing 
with  filial  gratitude.  Her  form  bending  over  their 
bed  in  silent  prayer,  at  the  hour  of  twilight,  when 
she  was  about  leaving  them  for  the  night,  is  still 
among  the  earliest  recollections  of  her  children. 

She  was  a  woman  well  fitted  to  train  a  family  for 
the  troubled  times  in  which  she  lived.  To  the  kind 
est  affections  and  sympathies  she  united  energy  and 
decision,  and  in  her  household  enforced  that  strict  and 
unhesitating  obedience,  which  she  considered  as  the 
foundation  of  all  success  in  the  education  of  children. 
Her  hands  were  never  idle,  as  may  be  supposed,  when 
it  is  remembered  that  in  those  days,  throughout  New 
England,  in  addition  to  the  cares  of  a  farming  estab 
lishment,  much  of  the  material  for  clothing  was  manu 
factured  by  the  inmates  of  the  family.  Many  hours 
each  day  she  passed  at  the  hand-loom,  and  the  hum 
of  the  almost  obsolete  spinning-wheel  even  now  comes 
across  the  memory  like  the  remembrance  of  a  pleasant 
but  half-forgotten  melody. 


CHAPTER  II. 

EARLY   YEARS.  — SCHOOL   DAYS.  —  APPRENTICESHIP. 

THE  first  public  instruction  received  by  Mr.  Law 
rence  was  at  the  district  school  kept  at  a  short 
distance  from  his  father's  house.  Possessing  a  feeble 
constitution,  he  was  often  detained  at  home  by  sick 
ness,  where  he  employed  himself  industriously  with 
his  books  and  tools,  in  the  use  of  which  he  acquired 
a  good  degree  of  skill,  as  may  be  seen  from  a  letter 
to  his  son,  at  Groton,  in  1839  : 

"  Near  the  barn  used  to  be  an  old  fort,  where  the  people  went 
to  protect  themselves  from  the  Indians;  and,  long  since  my 
remembrance,  the  old  cellar  was  there,  surrounded  by  elder- 
bushes  and  the  like.  I  made  use  of  many  a  piece  of  the  elder 
for  pop-guns  and  squirts,  in  the  preparation  of  which  I  acquired  a 
strong  taste  for  the  use  of  the  pen-knife  and  jack-knife.  I  like 
the  plan  of  boys  acquiring  the  taste  for  tools,  and  of  their  taking 
pains  to  learn  their  use  ;  for  they  may  be  so  situated  as  to  make 
a  very  slight  acquaintance  very  valuable  to  them.  And,  then, 
another  advantage  is  that  they  may  have  exercise  of  body  and 
mind  in  some  situations  where  they  would  suffer  without.  How 
do  you  employ  yourself?  Learn  as  much  as  you  can  of  farming ; 
for  the  work  of  your  hands  in  this  way  may  prove  the  best 

20 


DIARY  AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  21 

resource  in  securing  comfort  to  you.  The  beautiful  images  of 
early  life  come  up  in  these  bright  moonlight  nights,  the  like  of 
which  I  used  to  enjoy  in  the  fields  below  our  old  mansion,  where 
I  was  sent  to  watch  the  cattle.  There  I  studied  astronomy  to 
more  account  than  ever  afterwards ;  for  the  heavens  were  impress 
ive  teachers  of  the  goodness  of  that  Father  who  is  ever  near  to 
each  one  of  his  children.  May  you  never  lose  sight  of  this 
truth,  and  so  conduct  yourself  that  at  any  moment  you  may  be 
ready  to  answer  when  He  calls  !  " 

He  did  not  allow  himself  to  be  idle,  but,  from  his 
earliest  years,  exhibited  the  same  spirit  of  industry 
which  led  to  success  in  after  life.  With  a  natural 
quickness  of  apprehension,  and  a  fondness  for  books, 
he  made  commendable  progress,  in  spite  of  his  disad 
vantages.  His  father's  social  disposition  and  hospita 
ble  feelings  made  the  house  a  favorite  resort  for  both 
friends  and  strangers ;  and  among  the  most  welcome 
were  old  messmates  and  fellow-soldiers,  to  whose  mar 
vellous  adventures  and  escapes  the  youthful  listener 
lent ,  a  most  attentive  ear.  In  after  life  he  often 
alluded  to  the  intense  interest  with  which  he  hung 
upon  these  accounts  of  revolutionary  scenes,  and  times 
which  "tried  men's  souls/'  The  schoolmaster  was 
usually  billeted  upon  the  family  ;  and  there  are  now 
living  individuals  high  in  political  and  social  life  who 
served  in  that  capacity,  and  who  look  back  with 
pleasure  to  the  days  passed  under  that  hospitable  roof. 

At  a  later  period,  he  seems  to  have  been  transferred 


22  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

to  another  school,  in  the  adjoining  district,  as  will  be 
seen  by  the  following  extract  of  a  letter,  written  in 
1814,  to  a  youth  at  the  Groton  Academy  : 

"  More  than  fifty  years  ago,  your  father  and  I  were  school 
children  together.  I  attended  then  at  the  old  meeting-house,  or 
North  Barn,  as  it  was  called,  by  way  of  derision,  where  I  once 
remember  being  in  great  tribulation  at  having  lost  my  spelling- 
book  on  the  way.  It  was  afterwards  restored  to  me  by  Captain 
Richardson,  who  found  it  under  his  pear-tree,  where  I  had  been, 
without  leave,  on  my  way  to  school,  and  with  the  other  children 
helped  myself  to  his  fruit." 

From  the  district  school,  Mr.  Lawrence  entered  the 
Groton  Academy,  of  which  all  his  brothers  and  sisters 
were  members  at  various  times.  As  his  strength  was 
not  sufficient  to  make  him  useful  upon  the  farm,  in 
the  autumn  of  1799  he  was  placed  in  a  small  store, 
in  the  neighboring  town  of  Dunstable.  There  he 
passed  but  a  few  months ;  and,  on  account,  perhaps, 
of  greater  facilities  for  acquiring  a  knowledge  of 
business,  he  was  transferred  to  the  establishment  of 
James  Brazer,  Esq.,  of  Groton,  an  enterprising  and 
thrifty  country  merchant,  who  transacted  a  large  busi 
ness,  for  those  times,  with  his  own  and  surrounding 
towns.  The  store  was  situated  on  the  high  road  lead 
ing  from  Boston  to  New  Hampshire  and  Canada,  and 
was,  consequently,  a  place  of  much  resort,  both  for 
travellers  and  neighbors  who  took  an  interest  in  pass- 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  23 

ing  events.  Several  clerks  were  employed ;  and,  as 
Mr.  Brazer  did  not  take  a  very  active  part  in  the 
management  of  the  business,  after  a  year  or  two  nearly 
the  whole  responsibility  of  the  establishment  rested 
upon  young  Lawrence.  The  stock  consisted  of  the 
usual  variety  kept  in  the  country  stores  of  those  days, 
when  neighbors  could  not,  as  now,  run  down  to  the 
city,  thirty  or  forty  miles  distant,  for  any  little  matter 
of  fancy,  and  return  before  dinner-time.  Puncheons 
of  rum  and  brandy,  bales  of  cloth,  kegs  of  tobacco, 
with  hardware  and  hosiery,  shared  attention  in  common 
with  silks  and  thread,  and  all  other  articles  for  female 
use.  Among  other  duties,  the  young  clerk  was  obliged 
to  dispense  medicines,  not  only  to  customers,  but  to 
all  the  physicians  within  twenty  miles  around,  who 
depended  on  this  establishment  for  their  supply. 

The  confidence  in  his  good  judgment  was  such  that 
he  was  often  consulted,  in  preference  to  the  physician, 
by  those  who  were  suffering  from  minor  ails ;  and 
many  were  the  extemporaneous  doses  which  he  admin 
istered  for  the  weal  or  woe  of  the  patient.  The  same 
confidence  was  extended  to  him  in  all  other  matters , 
no  one  doubted  his  assertion ;  and  the  character  for 
probity  and  fairness  which  accompanied  him  through 
life  was  here  established. 

The  quantity  of  rum  and  brandy  sold  would  surprise 
the  temperance  men  of  modern  days.  At  eleven 
o'clock,  each  forenoon,  some  stimulating  beverage, 


24  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

according  to  the  taste  of  the  clerk  who  compounded 
it,  was  served  out  for  the  benefit  of  clerks  and  cus 
tomers.  Mr.  Lawrence  partook  with  the  others  ;  but, 
soon  finding  that  the  desire  became  more  pressing  at 
the  approach  of  the  hour  for  indulgence,  he  resolved 
to  discontinue  the  habit  altogether  : 

"  His  mind  was  soon  made  up.  Understanding  perfectly  the 
ridicule  he  should  meet  with,  and  which  for  a  time  he  did  meet 
with  in  its  fullest  measure,  he  yet  took  at  once  the  ground  of 
total  abstinence.  Such  a  stand,  taken  at  such  an  age,  in  such 
circumstances  of  temptation,  before  temperance  societies  had  been 
heard  of,  or  the  investigations  had  been  commenced  on  which  they 
are  based,  was  a  practical  instance  of  that  judgment  and  decision 
which  characterized  him  through  life."  * 

In  regard  to  this  resolution,  he  writes,  many  years 
afterward,  to  a  young  student  in  college  : 

"  In  the  first  place,  take  this  for  your  motto  at  the  commence 
ment  of  your  journey,  that  the  difference  of  going  just  right,  or 
a  little  wrong,  will  be  the  difference  of  finding  yourself  in  good 
quarters,  or  in  a  miserable  bog  or  slough,  at  the  end  of  it.  Of 
the  whole  number  educated  in  the  Groton  stores  for  some  years 
before  and  after  myself,  no  one  else,  to  my  knowledge,  escaped 
the  bog  or  slough ;  and  my  escape  I  trace  to  the  simple  fact  of 
my  having  put  a  restraint  upon  my  appetite.  We  five  boys  were 
in  the  habit,  every  forenoon,  of  making  a  drink  compounded  of 

*  President  Hopkins's  Sermon  in  commemoration  of  Amos  Lawrence. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

PAGE 
BIRTH.  —  ANCESTRY.  —  PARENTS, » 15 

CHAPTER    II. 

EARLY   YEARS.— SCHOOL  DAYS.  — APPRENTICESHIP,  .   . !  20 

CHAPTER    III. 

ARRIVAL  IN  BOSTON.  — CLERKSHIP. —  COMMENCES  BUSINESS.  —  HABITS,  .   .   .   .  28 

CHAPTER    IV. 

BUSINESS    HABITS.  —  HIS    FATHER'S    MORTGAGE.  —  RESOLUTIONS.  —  ARRIVAL 

OF    BROTHERS  IN  BOSTON, 35 

CHAPTER    V. 

VISITS  AT    GROTON.  — SICKNESS.  — LETTER    FROM    DR.   SHATTUCK.  —  ENGAGE 
MENT.— LETTER  TO  REV.  DR.   GANNETT.  —  MARRIAGE, 40 

2  9 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    VI. 

BRAMBLE    NEWS.  —  JUNIOR   PARTNER    GOES    TO    ENGLAND.  —  LETTERS    TO 

BROTHER « 

CHAPTER    VII. 

DEATH  OF  SISTER.  -LETTERS, 54 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

DOMESTIC  HABITS.  — ILLNESS  AND  DEATH  OF  WIFE, 89 


CHAPTER    IX. 

JOURNEYS.  — LETTERS.— JOURNEY  TO  NEW  YORK,  .  . 


CHAPTER    X. 

MARRIAGE.  — ELECTED  TO   LEGISLATURE.  —  ENGAGES  IN    MANUFACTURES.— 

REFLECTIONS, 77 

CHAPTER    XI. 

REFLECTIONS.  — BUNKER  HILL  MONUMENT.  —  LETTERS, 82 

CHAPTER    XII. 

JOURNEY  TO  CANADA.— LETTERS.— DIARY.  — CHARITIES, 89 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  MR.  WEBSTER.  —  LETTERS, 96 


CONTENTS.  XI 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

TESTIMONIAL  TO  MR.  WEBSTER.  —  DANGEROUS  ILLNESS.  —  LETTERS, 102 

CHAPTER    XV. 

JOURNEY    TO    NEW  HAMPSHIRE.  —  LETTERS. —RESIGNS   OFFICE    OF    TRUSTEE 

AT  HOSPITAL.— LETTERS, 109 

CHAPTER    XYI. 

DAILY  EXERCISE.  — REGIMEN.  — IMPROVING  HEALTH.  —  LETTERS, 122 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

REFLECTIONS.— VISIT   TO    WASHINGTON.  —  VISIT   TO    RAINSFORD    ISLAND. 

REFLECTIONS.  — VIEW  OF  DEATH. —REFLECTIONS, 137 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

BROTHER'S  DEATH.  —  LETTERS.  —  GIFTS.  —  LETTERS.  —  BIRTH-PLACE.  —  DIARY. 
—  APPLICATIONS  FOR  AID.  — REFLECTIONS.— LETTER  FROM  REV.  DR. 
STONE.  — DIARY 147 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

REFLECTIONS.— LETTERS.— ACCOUNT    OF    EFFORTS    TO    COMPLETE    BUNKER 

HILL  MONUMENT, 165 

CHAPTER    XX. 

INTEREST    IN  MOUNT  AUBURN. —REV.  DR.   SHARP.  —  LETTER    FROM    BISHOP 

McILVAINE.— LETTER  FROM  JUDGE  STORY,     175 


XII  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

ACQUAINTANCE  WITH  PRESIDENT  HOPKINS.  —  LETTERS.  —  AFFECTION  FOR 
BRATTLE-STREET  CHURCH.  —  DEATH  X)F  MRS.  APPLETON.  —  LETTERS.  — 
AMESBURY  CO., 182 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

DEATH  OF  HIS  DAUGHTER.  —  LETTERS.  —  DONATION  TO  WILLIAMS    COLLEGE. 

—  BENEFICENCE.  — LETTERS, 193 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

LETTER  FROM    DR.  SHARP.  —  ILLNESS   AND   DEATH    OF  HIS   SON.  —  LETTERS. 

—  AFFLICTIONS, 203 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

REFLECTIONS.  — EXPENDITURES.  — LETTERS.— DONATION    FOR    LIBRARY    AT 

WILLIAMS  COLLEGE.  — YIEWS  ON   STUDY  OF  ANATOMY, 212 

CHAPTER    XXV. 

DONATION  TO  LAWRENCE  ACADEMY.  —  CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  R.  G.  PARKER. 

—  SLEIGH-RIDES.  — AVERSION   TO   NOTORIETY.  —  CHILDREN'S  HOSPITAL,  221 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 

CAPTAIN  A.  S.  McKENZIE.— DIARY.  — AID   TO  IRELAND.  —  MADAM   PRESCOTT. 

—  SIR  WILLIAM  COLEBROOKE, 234 


CONTENTS.  XIII 

CHAPTER    XXVII. 

MR.  LAWRENCE  AS  AN  APPLICANT.  —  LETTERS.  —  DIARY.  —  PRAYER  AND 
MEDITATIONS.— FAC-SIMILE  OF  HAND-WRITING. —LIBERALITY  TO  A 
CREDITOR.  —LETTERS, 242 

CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

REFLECTIONS.— VIEWS  ON  HOLDING  OFFICE.  —  LETTERS.  —  CAPT.   A.  SLIDELL 

McKENZIE.— DEATH  OF  BROTHER  AND  OF  HON.  J.  MASON 255 

CHAPTER    XXIX. 

SYSTEM  IN  ACCOUNTS.  — LETTER  FROM    PROF.   STUART.  —  LETTERS.  —  DIARY. 

—  DR.  HAMILTON.— FATHER  MATHEW, 263 

CHAPTER    XXX. 

CODICIL  TO  WILL.— ILLNESS.  — GEN.  WHITING.  —  LETTERS.  —  DIARY, 271 

CHAPTER    XXXI. 

DIARY.— REFLECTIONS.  — SICKNESS.  — LETTER  FROM  DR.  SHARP.  —  CORRES 
PONDENCE,  273 

CHAPTER    XXXII. 

AMIN   BEY.  — AMOUNT  OF  DONATIONS  TO  WILLIAMS  COLLEGE, 2S5 

CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

LETTERS —LIKENESS  OF  ABBOTT  LAWRENCE.  —  DIARY,  .  .   .  292 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

SIR  T.   P.  BUXTON.—  LETTER    FROM    LADY    BUXTON.—  ELLIOTT    CRESSON.  — 

LETTERS, 298 

CHAPTER    XXXV. 

LETTERS.  — REV.  DR.  3CORESBY.  —  WABASH  COLLEGE, 304 

CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

DIARY.  — AMOUNT    OF    CHARITIES.  —  LETTERS.  —  THOMAS    TARBELL.  —  UNCLE 

TOBY.  — REV.  DR.  LOWELL, 311 

CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

CORRESPONDENCE.  — DIARY, 324 

CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

MR.    LAWRENCE    SERVES    AS    PRESIDENTIAL    ELECTOR.  —  GEN.    FRANKLIN 

PIERCE.  — SUDDEN  DEATH.  —  FUNERAL, 334 

CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

SKETCH  OF  CHARACTER  BY  REV.  DRS.  LOTHROP  AND  HOPKINS, 343 

CHAPTER    XL. 

CONCLUSION,.   , 352 


361 


DIARY  AND  CORRESPONDENCE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

BIRTH.  —ANCESTRY.  —PARENTS. 

AMOS  LAWRENCE  was  born  in  Groton,  Mass.,  on  the 
22d  of  April,  1786.  His  ancestor,  John  Lawrence, 
was  baptized,  according  to  the  records,  on  the  8th  of 
October,  1609,  at  Wisset,  County  of  Suffolk,  England, 
where  the  family  had  resided  for  a  long  period,  though 
originally  from  the  County  of  Lancaster. 

Butler,  in  his  "History  of  Groton,"  has,  among 
other  details,  the  following  : 

"  The  first  account  of  the  ancestor  of  the  numerous  families  of 
this  name  in  Groton  and  Pepperell,  which  can  be  relied  upon  as 
certain,  is,  that  he  was  an  inhabitant  of  Watertown  as  early  as 
1635.  He  probably  came  in  the  company  which  came  with 
Governor  Winthrop,  in  1630.  His  given  name  was  John,  and 
that  of  his  wife  was  Elizabeth.  Whether  they  were  married  in 
England  or  not,  has  not  been  ascertained.  Their  eldest  child  was 
born  in  Watertown,  January  14,  1635.  He  removed  to  Groton, 

15 


16  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

with  probably  all  his  family,  at  an  early  period  of  its  settlement, 
as  his  name  is  found  in  the  records  there  in  1663.  He  was  an 
original  proprietor,  having  a  twenty-acre  right." 

Of  the  parents  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  the 
same  author  writes  : 

"  Samuel  Lawrence,  the  %son  of  Captain  Amos  Lawrence,  sen., 
was  an  officer  in  the  continental  army,  in  the  former  part  of  the 
Revolutionary  War.  He  was  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  where 
a  musket-ball  passed  through  his  beaver  hat.  He  was  also  in  the 
battle  in  Rhode  Island,  where  he  served  as  adjutant  under  Gen 
eral  Sullivan.  On  the  22d  day  of  July,  1777,  being  at  home,  on 
a  furlough,  for  the  express  purpose,  he  was  married  to  Susanna 
Parker.  *  *  *  * 

"  Having  faithfully  served  in  the  cause  of  his  country  during 
the  term  of  his  engagement,  he  returned  to  his  native  town,  to 
enjoy  the  peace  and  quiet  of  domestic  life  on  his  farm.  He  was 
elected  by  his  townsmen  to  some  of  the  highest  offices  in  their 
gift ;  he  was  a  deacon  of  the  church,  and  a  justice  of  the  peace 
quorum  unus.  He  took  a  deep  interest  in  providing  means  for 
the  education  of  youth,  particularly  in  establishing  and  support 
ing  the  seminary  in  Groton,  which  now,  in  gratitude  to  him  and 
his  sons,  bears  the  family  name.  Of  this  institution  he  was  a 
trustee  thirty-three  years,  and  in  its  benefits  and  advantages  he 
gave  ample  opportunities  for  all  his  children  to  participate.  Here 
their  minds  undoubtedly  received  some  of  those  early  impressions, 
the  developments  and  consequences  of  which  it  will  be  the  work 
of  their  biographers  hereafter  to  portray.  No  deduction,  however, 
should  here  be  made  from  the  importance  of  parental  instruction, 
to  add  to  the  merit  of  academical  education.  The  correct  lessons 
given  by  the  mother  in  the  nursery  are  as  necessary  to  give  the 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  25 

rum,  raisins,  sugar,  nutmeg,  &c.,  with  biscuit,  —  all  palatable  to 
eat  and  drink.  After  being  in  the  store  four  weeks,  I  found 
myself  admonished  by  my  appetite  of  the  approach  of  the  hour 
for  indulgence.  Thinking  the  habit  might  make  trouble  if 
allowed  to  grow  stronger,  without  further  apology  to  my  seniors 
I  declined  partaking  with  them.  My  first  resolution  was  to 
abstain  for  a  week,  and,  when  the  week  was  out,  for  a  month, 
and  then  for  a  year.  Finally,  I  resolved  to  abstain  for  the  rest 
of  my  apprenticeship,  which  was  for  five  years  longer.  During 
that  whole  period,  I  never  drank  a  spoonful,  though  I  mixed 
gallons  daily  for  my  old  master  and  his  customers.  I  decided 
not  to  be  a  slave  to  tobacco  in  any  form,  though  I  loved  the  odor 
of  it  then,  and  even  now  have  in  my  drawer  a  superior  Havana 
cigar,  given  me,  not  long  since,  by  a  friend,  but  only  to  smell  of. 
I  have  never  in  my  life  smoked  a  cigar ;  never  chewed  but  one 
quid,  and  that  was  before  I  was  fifteen ;  and  never  took  an  ounce 
of  snuff,  though  the  scented  rappee  of  forty  years  ago  had  great 
charms  for  me.  Now,  I  say,  to  this  simple  fact  of  starting  just 
right  am  I  indebted,  with  God's  blessing  on  my  labors,  for  my 
present  position,  as  well  as  that  of  the  numerous  connections 
sprung  up  around  me.  I  have  many  details  that  now  appear  as 
plain  to  me  as  the  sun  at  noonday,  by  .which  events  are  connected 
together,  and  which  have  led  to  results  that  call  on  me  to  bless  the 
Lord  for  all  his  benefits,  and  to  use  the  opportunities  thus  per 
mitted  to  me  in  cheering  on  the  generation  of  young  men  who 
have  claims  upon  my  sympathies  as  relations,  fellow-townsmen,  or 
brethren  on  a  more  enlarged  scale." 

Of  this  period  he  writes  elsewhere,  as  follows  : 

"When  I  look  back,  I  can  trace  the  small  events  which  hap 
pened  at  your  age  as  having  an  influence  upon  all  the  after 


26  DIAEY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

things.  My  academy  lessons,  little  academy  balls,  and  eight-cent 
expenses  for  music  and  gingerbread,  the  agreeable  partners  in  the 
hall,  and  pleasant  companions  in  the  stroll,  all  helped  to  make  me 
feel  that  I  had  a  character  even  then ;  and,  after  leaving  school 
and  going  into  the  store,  there  was  not  a  month  passed  before  I 
became  impressed  with  the  opinion  that  restraint  upon  appetite 
was  necessary  to  prevent  the  slavery  I  saw  destroying  numbers 
around  me.  Many  and  many  of  the  farmers,  mechanics,  and 
apprentices,  of  that  day,  have  filled  drunkards'  graves,  and  have 
left  destitute  families  and  friends. 

"  The  knowledge  of  every-day  affairs  which  I  acquired  in  my 
business  apprenticeship  in  Groton  has  been  a  source  of  pleasure 
and  profit  even  in  my  last  ten  years'  discipline." 

The  responsibility  thrown  upon  the  young  clerk  was 
very  great ;  and  he  seems  cheerfully  to  have  accepted 
it,  and  to  have  given  himself  up  entirely  to  the  per 
formance  of  his  business  duties.  His  time,  from  early 
dawn  till  evening,  was  fully  taken  up  ;  and,  although 
living  in  the  family  of  his  employer,  and  within  a  mile 
of  his  father's  house,  a  whole  week  would  sometimes 
pass  without  his  having  leisure  to  pay  even  a  flying 
visit. 

But  few  details  of  his  apprenticeship  can  now  be 
gathered  either  from  his  contemporaries  or  from  any 
allusions  in  his  own  writings.  He  was  disabled  for  a 
time  by  an  accident  which  came  near  being  fatal.  In 
assisting  an  acquaintance  to  unload  a  gun,  by  some 
means  the  charge  exploded,  and  passed  directly 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  27 

through  the  middle  of  his  hand,  making  a  round  hole 
like  that  of  a  bullet.  Sixty-three  shot  were  picked 
out  of  the  floor  after  the  accident,  and  it  seemed 
almost  a  miracle  that  he  ever  again  had  the  use  of 
his  hand. 


CHAPTEE  III. 

ARRIVAL   IN   BOSTON.  — CLERKSHIP. —  COMMENCES   BUSINESS.— 
HABITS.  — LETTERS. 

ON  the  22d  of  April,  1807,  Mr.  Lawrence  became 
of  age  ;  and  his  apprenticeship,  which  had  lasted  seven 
years,  was  terminated. 

On  the  29th  of  the  same  month,  he  took  his  father's 
horse  and  chaise,  and  engaged  a  neighbor  to  drive 
him  to  Boston,  with,  as  he  says,  many  years  after 
wards, — 

"  Twenty  dollars  in  my  pocket,  but  feeling  richer  than  I  had 
ever  felt  before,  or  have  felt  since ;  so  rich  that  I  gave  the  man 
who  came  with  me  two  dollars  to  save  him  from  any  expense,  and 
insure  him  against  loss  by  his  spending  two  days  on  the  journey 
here  and  back  (for  which  he  was  glad  of  an  excuse)." 

His  object  was  to  make  acquaintances,  and  to  estab 
lish  a  'credit  which  would  enable  him  to  commence 
business  in  Groton  on  his  own  account,  in  company 
with  a  fellow- apprentice. 

A  few  days  after  his  arrival  in  Boston,  he  received 
the  offer  of  a  clerkship  from  a  respectable  house  ;  and, 

28 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  29 

wishing  to  familiarize  himself  with  the  modes  of  con 
ducting  mercantile  affairs  in  the  metropolis,  and  with 
the  desire  of  extending  his  acquaintance  with  business 
men,  he  accepted  the  offer.  His  employers  were  so 
well  satisfied  with  the  capacity  of  their  new  clerk, 
that,  in  the  course  of  a  few  months,  they  made  a 
proposition  to  admit  him  into  partnership.  Without 
any  very  definite  knowledge  of  their  affairs,  he,  much 
to  their  surprise,  declined  the  offer.  He  did  not  con 
sider  the  principles  on  which  the  business  was  con 
ducted  as  the  true  ones.  The  result  showed  his 
sagacity ;  for,  in  the  course  of  a  few  months,  the  firm 
became  insolvent,  and  he  was  appointed  by  the  cred 
itors  to  settle  their  affairs.  This  he  did  to  their 
satisfaction ;  and,  having  no  further  occupation,  de 
cided  upon  commencing  business  on  his  own  account. 
He  accordingly  hired  a  small  store  in  what  was  then 
called  Cornhill,  and  furnished  it  by  means  of  the  credit 
which  he  had  been  able  to  obtain  through  the  con 
fidence  with  which  he  had  inspired  those  whose 
acquaintance  he  had  made  during  his  brief  sojourn  in 
Boston. 

On  the  17th  of  December,  1807,  he  commenced 
business,  after  having  engaged  as  his  clerk  Henry 
Whiting,  in  after  years  well  and  honorably  known  as 
Brigadier- General  Whiting,  of  the  United  States  Army. 

Mr.  Lawrence  writes  to  General  Whiting,  in  1849, 
as  follows  : 


30  DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

"  I  have  just  looked  into  my  first  sales-book,  and  there  see  the 
entries  made  by  you  more  than  forty-one  years  ago.  Ever  since, 
you  have  been  going  up  from  the  cornet  of  dragoons  to  the 
present  station.  Abbott,  who  took  your  place,  is  now  the  repre 
sentative  of  his  country  at  the  Court  of  St.  James." 

In  a  memorandum  in  one  of  his  account-books,  he 
thus  alludes  to  his  condition  at  that  time  : 

"I  was  then,  in  the  matter  of  property,  not  worth  a  dollar. 
My  father  was  comfortably  off  as  a  farmer,  somewhat  in  debt ; 
with  perhaps  four  thousand  dollars.  My  brother  Luther  was  in 
the  practice  of  law,  getting  forward,  but  not  worth  two  thousand 
dollars ;  William  had  nothing ;  Abbott,  a  lad  just  fifteen  years 
old,  at  school ;  and  Samuel,  a  child  seven  years  old." 

Of  the  manner  in  which  he  occupied  himself  when 
not  engaged  about  his  business,  he  writes  to  his  son 
in  1832  : 

"  When  I  first  came  to  this  city,  I  took  lodgings  in  the  family 
of  a  widow  who  had  commenced  keeping  boarders  for  a  living. 
I  was  one  of  her  first,  and  perhaps  had  been  in  the  city  two 
months  when  I  went  to  this  place ;  and  she,  of  course,  while  I 
remained,  was  inclined  to  adopt  any  rules  for  the  boarders  that  I 
prescribed.  The  only  one  I  ever  made  was,  that,  after  supper, 
all  the  boarders  who  remained  in  the  public  room  should  remain 
quiet  at  least  for  one  hour,  to  give  those  who  chose  to  study  or 
read  an  opportunity  of  doing  so  without  disturbance.  The  con 
sequence  was,  that  we  had  the  most  quiet  and  improving  set  of 
young  men  in  the  town.  The  few  who  did  not  wish  to  comply 


DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  31 

with  the  regulation  went  abroad  after  tea,  sometimes  to  the 
theatre,  sometimes  to  other  places,  but,  to  a  man,  became  bank 
rupt  in  after  life,  not  only  in  fortune,  but  in  reputation  ;  while  a 
majority  of  the  other  class  sustained  good  characters,  and  some 
are  now  living  who  are  ornaments  to  society,  and  fill  important 
stations.  The  influence  of  this  small  measure  will  perhaps  be 
felt  throughout  generations.  It  was  not  less  favorable  on  myself 
than  on  others." 

Mr.  Lawrence  was  remarkable  through  life  for  the 
most  punctilious  exactness  in  all  matters  relating  to 
business.  Ever  prompt  himself  in  all  that  he  under 
took,  he  submitted  with  little  grace  to  the  want  of 
the  same  good  trait  in  others.  He  writes  to  a  friend  : 

"  And  now  having  delivered  the  message,  having  the  power 
at  the  present  moment,  and  not  having  the  assurance  that  I  shall 
be  able  to  do  it  the  next  hour,  I  will  state  that  I  practised  upon 
the  maxim,  '  Business  before  friends, '  from  the  commencement 
of  my  course.  During  the  first  seven  years  of  my  business  in 
this  city,  I  never  allowed  a  bill  against  me  to  stand  unsettled 
over  the  Sabbath.  If  the  purchase  of  goods  was  made  at  auction 
on  Saturday,  and  delivered  to  me,  I  always  examined  and  settled 
the  bill  by  note  or  by  crediting  it,  and  having  it  clear,  so  that, 
in  case  I  was  not  on  duty  on  Monday,  there  would  be  no  trouble 
for  my  boys ;  thus  keeping  the  business  before  me,  instead  of 
allowing  it  to  drive  me." 

Absence  from  his  home  seemed  only  to  strengthen 
the  feelings  of  attachment  with  which  he  regarded 
its  inmates  * 


32  DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

"  My  interest  in  home,  and  my  desire  to  have  something  to 
tell  my  sisters  to  instruct  and  improve  them,  as  well  as  to  hear 
their  comments  upon  whatever  I  communicated,  was  a  powerful 
motive  for  me  to  spend  a  portion  of  each  evening  in  my  boarding- 
house,  the  first  year  I  came  to  Boston,  in  reading  and  study." 

During  the  same  month  in  which  he  commenced  his 
business,  he  opened  a  correspondence  with  one  of  his 
sisters  by  the  following  letter  : 

"  BOSTON,  December,  1807. 

"  DEAR  E.  :  Although  the  youngest,  you  are  no  less  dear  to 
me  than  the  other  sisters.  To  you,  therefore,  I  ought  to  be  as 
liberal  in  affording  pleasure  (if  you  can  find  any  in  reading  my 
letters)  as  to  S.  and  M. ;  and,  if  there  is  any  benefit  resulting 
from  them,  you  have  a  claim  to  it  as  well  as  they.  From  these 
considerations,  and  with  the  hope  that  you  will  write  to  me 
whenever  you  can  do  so  with  convenience,  I  have  begun  a  cor 
respondence  which  I  hope  will  end  only  with  life.  To  be  able 
to  write  a  handsome  letter  is  certainly  a  very  great  accomplish 
ment,  and  can  best  be  attained  by  practice ;  and,  if  you  now 
begin,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that,  by  the  time  you  are 
sixteen,  you  will  be  mistress  of  a  handsome  style,  and  thrice  the 
quantity  of  ideas  you  would  otherwise  possess,  by  omitting  this 
part  of  education.  At  present,  you  can  write  about  any  subject 
that  will  afford  you  an  opportunity  of  putting  together  a  sen 
tence,  and  I  shall  read  it  with  pleasure.  I  mention  this,  that  you 
need  not  fear  writing  on  subjects  not  particularly  interesting  to 
me ;  the  manner  at  present  being  of  as  much  consequence  as  the 
matter. 

"  For  our  mutual  pleasure  and  benefit,  dear  E.,  I  hope  you 
will  not  fail  to  gratify  your  affectionate  brother  AMOS." 


DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  33 

To  show  the  nature  of  the  correspondence  between 
the  parties,  extracts  are  given  below  from  a  letter 
dated  within  a  few  days  of  the  preceding,  and  ad 
dressed  to  another  sister : 

"  From  you,  my  dear  sister,  the  injunction  not  to  forget  the 
duties  of  religion  comes  with  peculiar  grace.  You  beg  I  will 
pardon  you  for  presuming  to  offer  good  advice.  Does  a  good  act 
require  pardon  ?  Not  having  committed  an  offence,  I  can  grant 
you  no  pardon ;  but  my  thanks  I  can  give,  which  you  will  accept, 
with  an  injunction  never  to  withhold  any  caution  or  advice  which 
you  may  think  necessary  or  beneficial  on  account  of  fewer  years 
having  passed  over  your  head.  *  *  *  * 

"  Many,  when  speaking  of  perfection,  say  it  is  not  attainable, 
or  hitherto  unattainable,  and  it  is  therefore  vain  to  try  or  hope 
for  it.  To  such  I  would  observe,  that,  from  motives  of  duty  to 
our  Creator,  and  ambition  in  ourselves,  we  ought  to  strive  for  it, 
at  least  so  far  as  not  to  be  distanced  by  those  who  have  preceded 
us.  Morality  is  strict  justice  between  man  and  man ;  therefore, 
a  man  being  moral  does  not  imply  he  is  a  Christian,  but  being  a 
Christian  implies  he  is  a  moral  mail.  *  *  *  * 

"  We  ought  to  use  our  utmost  endeavors  to  conquer  our  pas 
sions  and  evil  propensities,  to  conform  our  lives  to  the  strict  rules 
of  morality  and  the  best  practice  of  Christianity.  I  cannot  go 
further,  without  introducing  the  subject  of  evil  speaking,  which 
you  will  perhaps  think  I  have  exhausted.  *  #  * 

"  I  do  not,  my  dear  M.,  set  myself  up  as  a  reformer  of  human 
nature,  or  to  find  fault  with  it ;  but  these  observations  (which 
have  occurred  to  me  as  I  am  writing)  may  serve  to  show  how  apt 
we  are  to  do  things  which  afford  us  no  pleasure,  and  which  often- 


34  DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

times  are  attended  with  the  most  disagreeable  consequences.  If 
you  receive  any  improvement  from  the  sentiments,  or  pleasure 
from  the  perusal,  of  this  letter,  the  time  in  writing  will  be  con 
sidered  as  well  spent  by  your  affectionate  brother  AMOS  " 


CHAPTER   IV. 

BUSINESS   HABITS.—  HIS   FATHER'S  MORTGAGE.  —  RESOLUTIONS.  — 
ARRIVAL   OF    BROTHERS   IN    BOSTON. 

MR.  LAWRENCE  had  early  formed,  in  the  management 
of  his  affairs,  certain  principles,  to  which  he  rigidly 
adhered  till  the  close  of  life.  He  writes  : 

"  I  adopted  the  plan  of  keeping  an  accurate  account  of  mer 
chandise  bought  and  sold  each  day,  with  the  profit  as  far  as 
practicable.  This  plan  was  pursued  for  a  number  of  years  ;  and 
I  never  found  my  merchandise  fall  short  in  taking  an  account  of 
stock,  which  I  did  as  often  at  least  as  once  in  each  year.  I  was 
thus  enabled  to  form  an  opinion  of  my  actual  state  as  a  business 
man.  I  adopted  also  the  rule  always  to  have  property,  after  my 
second  year's  business,  to  represent  forty  per  cent,  at  least  more 
than  I  owed ;  that  is,  never  to  be  in  debt  more  than  two  and  a 
half  times  my  capital.  This  caution  saved  me  from  ever  getting 
embarrassed.  If  it  were  more  generally  adopted,  we  should  see 
fewer  failures  in  business.  Excessive  credit  is  the  rock  on  which 
so  many  business  men  are  broken. 

"  When  I  commenced,  the  embargo  had  just  been  laid,  and 
with  such  restrictions  on  trade  that  many  were  induced  to  leave 
it.  But  I  felt  great  confidence,  that,  by  industry,  economy,  and 
integrity,  I  could  get  a  living ;  and  the  experiment  showed  that 
I  was  right.  Most  of  the  young  men  who  commenced  at  that 

35 


36  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

period  failed  by  spending  too  much  money,  and  using  credit  too 
freely. 

"  I  made  about  fifteen  hundred  dollars  the  first  year,  and  more 
than  four  thousand  the  second.  Probably,  had  I  made  four 
thousand  the  first  year,  I  should  have  failed  the  second  or  third 
year.  I  practised  a  system  of  rigid  economy,  and  never  allowed 
myself  to  spend  a  fourpence  for  unnecessary  objects  until  I  had 
acquired  it." 

It  is  known  to  many  of  Mr.  Lawrence's  friends  that 
his  father  mortgaged  his  farm,  and  loaned  the  pro 
ceeds  to  his  son ;  thereby  enabling  him,  as  some 
suppose,  to  do  what  he  could  not  have  done  by  his 
own  unaided  efforts.  To  show  how  far  this  supposition 
is  correct,  the  following  extract  is  given.  It  is  copied 
from  the  back  of  the  original  mortgage  deed,  now 
lying  before  the  writer,  and  bearing  date  of  September 
1,  1807.  The  extract  is  dated  March,  1847  : 

"  The  review  of  this  transaction  always  calls  up  the  deep 
feelings  of  my  heart.  My  honored  father  brought  to  me  the  one 
thousand  dollars,  and  asked  me  to  give  him  my  note  for  it.  I 
told  him  he  did  wrong  to  place  himself  in  a  situation  to  be  made 
unhappy,  if  I  lost  the  money.  He  told  me  he  guessed  I 
would  rit  lose  it,  and  I  gave  him  my  note.  The  first  thing  I 
did  was  to  take  four  per  cent,  premium  on  my  Boston  bills  (the 
difference  then  between  passable  and  Boston  money),  and  send 
a  thousand  dollars  in  bills  of  the  Hillsborough  Bank  to  Amherst, 
New  Hampshire,  by  my  father,  to  my  brother  L.  to  carry  to  the 
bank  and  get  specie,  as  he  was  going  there  to  attend  court  that 
week.  My  brother  succeeded  in  getting  specie,  principally  in 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  37 

silver  change,  for  the  bills,  and  returned  it  to  me  in  a  few  days. 
In  the  mean  time,  or  shortly  after,  the  bank  had  been  sued,  the 
bills  discredited,  and,  in  the  end,  proved  nearly  worthless.  I 
determined  not  to  use  the  money,  except  in  the  safest  way ;  and 
therefore  loaned  it  to  Messrs.  Parkman,  in  whom  I  had  entire 
confidence.  After  I  had  been  in  business,  and  had  made  more 
than  a  thousand  dollars,  I  felt  that  I  could  repay  the  money, 
come  what  would  of  it ;  being  insured  against  fire,  and  trusting 
nobody  for  goods.  I  used  it  in  my  business,  but  took  care  to  pay 
off  the  mortgage  as  soon  as  it  would  be  received.  The  whole 
transaction  is  deeply  interesting,  and  calls  forth  humble  and 
devout  thanksgiving  to  that  merciful  Father  who  has  been  to  us 
better  than  our  most  sanguine  hopes." 

In  alluding  to  this  transaction  in  another  place,  he 

says  : 

* 

"  This  incident  shows  how  dangerous  it  is  to  the  independence 
and  comfort  of  families,  for  parents  to  take  pecuniary  responsibil 
ities  for  their  sons  in  trade,  beyond  their  power  of  meeting  them 
without  embarrassment.  Had  my  Hillsborough  Bank  notes  not 
been  paid  as  they  were,  nearly  the  whole  amount  would  have 
been  lost,  and  myself  and  family  might  probably  have  been 
ruined.  The  incident  was  so  striking,  that  I  have  uniformly, 
discouraged  young  men  who  have  applied  to  me  for  credit,  offer 
ing  their  fathers  as  bondsmen;  and,  by  doing  so,  I  have,  I 
believe,  saved  some  respectable  families  from  ruin.  My  advice, 
however,  has  been  sometimes  rejected  with  anger.  A  young  man 
who  cannot  get  along  without  su"jh  aid  will  not  be  likely  to  get 
along  with  it.  On  the  first  day  of  January,  1808,  I  had  been 
but  a  few  days  in  business ;  and  the  profits  on  all  my  sales  to 
that  day  were  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars  and  eighteen 


UNIVERSITY 


38  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

cents.  The  expenses  were  to  come  out,  and  the  balance  was  my 
capital.  In  1842,  the  sum  had  increased  to  such  an  amount  as  I 
thought  would  be  good  for  my  descendants  ;  and,  from  that  time, 
I  have  been  my  own  executor.  How  shall  I  show  my  sense  of 
responsibility  ?  Surely  by  active  deeds  more  than  by  unmeaning 
words.  God  grant  me  to  be  true  and  faithful  in  his  work  ! " 

Having  become  fairly  established  in  Boston,  Mr. 
Lawrence  concluded  to  take  his  brother  Abbott,  then 
fifteen  years  of  age,  as  an  apprentice.  On  the  8th  of 
October,  1808,  Abbott  accordingly  joined  his  brother, 
who  says  of  him  : 

"  In  1808,  he  came  to  me  as  my  apprentice,  bringing  his 
bundle  under  his  arm,  with  less  than  three  dollars  in  his  pocket 
(and  this  was  his  fortune)  ;  a  first-rate  business  lad  he  was,  but, 
like  other  bright  lads,  needed  the  careful  eye  of  a  senior  to  guard 
him  from  the  pitfalls  that  he  was  exposed  to." 

In  his  diary  of  February  10,  1847,  he  writes  : 

"In  the  autumn  of  1809,  I  boarded  at  Granger's  Coffee 
House,  opposite  Brattle-street  Church ;  and,  in  the  same  house, 
Mr.  Charles  "White  took  up  his  quarters,  to  prepare  his  then  new 
play,  called  the  '  Clergyman's  Daughter.'  He  spent  some 
months  in  preparing  it  to  secure  a  run  for  the  winter ;  and  used 
to  have  Tennett,  Canfield,  Robert  Treat  Paine,  and  a  host  of 
others,  to  dine  with  him  very  often.  I  not  unfrequently  left  the 
party  at  the  dinner-table,  and  found  them  there  when  I  returned 
to  tea.  Among  the  boarders  was  a  fair  proportion  of  respectable 
young  men,  of  different  pursuits ;  and,  having  got  somewhat 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  39 

interested  for  White,  we  all  agreed  to  go,  and  help  bring  out  his 
'  Clergyman's  Daughter.'  Mrs.  Darley  was  the  lady  to  per 
sonate  her,  and  a  more  beautiful  creature  could  not  be  found. 
She  and  her  husband  (who  sung  his  songs  better  than  any  man  I 
had  ever  heard  then)  had  all  the  spirit  of  parties  in  interest. 
We  filled  the  boxes,  and  encored,  and  all  promised  a  great  run. 
After  three  nights,  we  found  few  beside  the  friends,  and  it  was 
laid  aside  a  failure.  In  looking  back,  the  picture  comes  fresh 
before  me ;  and,  among  all,  I  do  not  recollect  one  who  was  the 
better,  and  most  were  ruined.  The  theatre  is  no  better  now." 

In  1849,  he  resumes  : 

"  About  this  time,  my  brother  William  made  me  a  little  visit 
to  recruit  his  health,  which  he  had  impaired  by  hard  work  on  the 
farm,  and  by  a  generous  attention  to  the  joyous  meetings  of  the 
young  folks  of  both  sexes,  from  six  miles  around,  which  meetings 
he  never  allowed  to  break  in  upon  his  work.  He  continued  his 
visit  through  the  winter,  and  became  so  much  interested  in  my 
business  that  I  agreed  to  furnish  the  store  next  my  own  for  his 
benefit.  Soon  after  that,  I  was  taken  sick ;  and  he  bought  goods 
for  himself  to  start  with,  and  pushed  on  without  fear.  From 
that  time,  he  was  successful  as  a  business  man.  He  used  his 
property  faithfully,  and  I  trust  acceptably  to  the  Master,  who  has 
called  him  to  account  for  his  talents.  Our  father's  advice  to  us 
was, 

"  { Do  not  fall  out  by  the  way,  for  a  three-fold  cord  is  not 
quickly  broken.'  " 


CHAPTER   V. 

VISITS  AT  GROTON.  —  SICKNESS.  —  LETTER  FROM  DR.  SHATTUCK.— 
ENGAGEMENT.  —  LETTER  TO  REV.  DR.  GANNETT.  —  MARRIAGE. 

DURING  these  years,  Mr.  Lawrence  was  in  the  habit 
of  making  occasional  visits  to  his  parents  in  Groton, 
thirty-five  miles  distant.  His  custom  was  to  drive 
himself,  leaving  Boston  at  a  late  hour  on  Saturday 
afternoon,  and  often,  as  he  says,  encroaching  upon  the 
Sabbath  before  reaching  home.  After  midnight,  on 
Sunday,  he  would  leave  on  his  return ;  and  thus  was 
enabled  to  reach  Boston  about  daybreak  on  Monday 
morning,  without  losing  a  moment's  time  in  his 
business. 

In  1810,  Mr.  Lawrence  was  seized  with  an  alarm 
ing  illness,  through  which  he  enjoyed  the  care  and 
skill  of  his  friend  and  physician,  the  late  Dr.  G.  C. 
Shattuck,  who,  shortly  before  his  own  death,  trans 
mitted  the  following  account  of  this  illness  to  the 
editor  of  these  pages,  who  also  had  the  privilege  of 
enjoying  a  friendship  so  much  prized  by  his  father  : 

"  Feb.  28,  1853. 

"  More  than  forty  years  ago,  New  England  was  visited  with  a 
pestilence.  The  people  were  stricken  with  panic.  The  first  vic- 

40 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  41 

tims  were  taken  off  unawares.  In  many  towns  in  the  interior  of 
the  commonwealth,  the  people  assembled  in  town  meeting,  and 
voted  to  pay,  from  the  town  treasury,  physicians  to  be  in  readiness 
to  attend  on  any  one  assailed  with  the  premonitory  symptoms  of 
disease.  The  distemper  was  variously  named,  cold  plague,  spot 
ted  fever,  and  malignant  remittent  fever.  After  a  day  of  unusual 
exercise,  your  father  was  suddenly  taken  ill.  The  worthy  family 
in  which  he  boarded  were  prompt  in  their  sympathy.  A  physi 
cian  was  called :  neighbors  and  friends  volunteered  their  aid. 
Remedies  were  diligently  employed.  Prayers  in  the  church  were 
offered  up  for  the  sick  one.  A  pious  father  left  his  home,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Nashua,  to  be  with  his  son.  To  the  physician  in 
attendance  he  gave  a  convulsive  grasp  of  the  hand,  and,  with 
eyes  brimful  of  tears,  and  choked  utterance,  articulated,  '  Doctor, 
if  Amos  has  not  money  enough,  I  have  ! '  To  the  anxious  father 
his  acres  seemed  like  dust  in  the  balance  contrasted  with  the  life 
of  his  son.  He  was  a  sensible  man,  acting  on  the  principle  that 
the  stimulus  of  reward  is  a  salutary  adjunct  to  the  promptings  of 
humanity.  God  rebuked  the  disorder,  though  the  convalescence 
was  slow.  A  constitution  with  an  originally  susceptible  nervous 
temperament  had  received  a  shock  which  rendered  him  a  long 
time  feeble.  An  apprentice,  with  a  discretion  beyond  his  years, 
maintained  a  healthy  activity  in  his  mercantile  operations,  to  the 
quiet  of  his  mind.  He  did  not  need  great  strength ;  for  sagacity 
and  decision  supplied  every  other  lack.  Supply  and  demand  were 
as  familiar  to  him  as  the  alphabet.  He  knew  the  wants  of  the 
country,  and  sources  of  supply.  Accumulation  followed  his 
operations,  and  religious  principle  regulated  the  distribution  of 
the  cumbrous  surplus.  A  sensible  and  pious  father,  aided  by  a 
prudent  mother,  had  trained  the  child  to  become  the  future  man. 
You  will  excuse  my  now  addressing  you,  when  you  recur  to  the 


42  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

tradition  that  I  had  participated  in  the  joy  of  the  house  when 
you  first  opened  your  eyes  to  the  light.  That  God's  promises  to 
the  seed  of  the  righteous  may  extend  to  you  and  yours,  is  the 
prayer  of  your  early  acquaintance, 

"GEORGE  C.  SHATTUCK." 

But  few  details  of  Mr.  Lawrence's  business  from 
this  date  until  1815  are  now  found.  Suffice  it  to 
say,  that,  through  the  difficult  and  troubled  times  in 
which  the  United  States  were  engaged  in  the  war 
with  England,  his  efforts  were  crowned  with  success. 
Dark  clouds  sometimes  arose  in  the  horizon,  and  vari 
ous  causes  of  discouragement  from  time  to  time  cast 
a  gloom  over  the  mercantile  world ;  but  despondency 
formed  no  part  of  his  character,  while  cool  sagacity 
and  unceasing  watchfulness  and  perseverance  enabled 
him  to  weather  many  a  storm  which  made  shipwreck 
of  others  around  him. 

Amidst  the  engrossing  cares  of  business,  however, 
Mr.  Lawrence  found  time  to  indulge  in  more  genial 
pursuits,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  lines, 
addressed  to  his  sister  : 

"BOSTON,  March  17,  1811. 

"  My  not  having  written  to  you  since  your  return,  my  dear 
M.,  has  proceeded  from  my  having  other  numerous  avocations, 
and  partly  from  a  carelessness  in  such  affairs  reprehensible  in  me. 
You  will,  perhaps,  be  surprised  to  learn  the  extent  and  import 
ance  of  my  avocations ;  for,  in  addition  to  my  usual  routine  of 
mercantile  affairs,  I  have  lately  been  engaged  in  a  negotiation  of 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  43 

the  first  importance,  and  which  I  have  accomplished  very  much  to 
my  own  satisfaction.  It  is  no  other  than  having  offered  myself  as 
a  husband  to  your  very  good  friend  Sarah  Richards,  which  offer 
she  has  agreed  to  accept.  So,  next  fall,  you  must  set  your  mind 
on  a  wedding.  Sarah  I  have  long  known  and  esteemed :  there  is 
such  a  reciprocity  of  feelings,  sentiments,  and  principles,  that  I 
have  long  thought  her  the  most  suitable  person  I  have  seen  for 
me  to  be  united  with.  Much  of  my  time,  as  you  may  well  suppose, 
is  spent  in  her  society ;  and  here  I  cannot  but  observe  the  infi 
nite  advantage  of  good  sense  and  good  principles  over  the  merely 
elegant  accomplishments  of  fashionable  education.  By  the  latter 
we  may  be  fascinated  for  a  time ;  but  they  will  afford  no  satisfac 
tion  on  retrospection.  The  former  you  are  compelled  to  respect 
and  to  love.  Such  qualities  are  possessed  by  Sarah ;  and,  were 
I  to  say  anything  further  in  her  favor,  it  would  be  that  she  is 
beloved  by  you.  Adieu,  my  dear  sister,  A.  L." 

As  this  volume  is  intended  only  for  the  perusal  of 
the  family  and  friends  of  the  late  Amos  Lawrence,  no 
apology  need  be  made  for  introducing  such  incidents 
of  his  life,  of  a  domestic  nature,  as  may  be  thought 
interesting,  and  which  it  might  not  seem  advisable  to 
introduce  under  other  circumstances.  Of  this  nature 
are  some  details  connected  with  this  engagement. 
The  young  lady  here  alluded  to,  whose  solid  qualities 
he  thus,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  and  in  the  first 
flush  of  a  successful  courtship,  so  calmly  discusses,  in 
addition  to  these,  possessed  personal  charms  sufficient 
to  captivate  the  fancy  of  even  a  more  philosophical 
admirer  than  himself.  Her  father,  Giles  Kichards, 


44  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

was  a  man  of  great  ingenuity,  who  resided  in  Boston 
at  the  close  of  the  Eevolutionary  War.  He  owned  an 
establishment  for  the  manufactory  of  cards  for  prepar 
ing  wool.  A  large  number  of  men  were  employed; 
and,  at  that  time,  it  was  considered  one  of  the  objects 
worthy  of  notice  by  strangers.  As  such,  it  was  visited 
by  General  Washington  on  his  northern  tour  ;  and  may 
be  found  described,  in  the  early  editions  of  Morse's 
Geography,  among  the  industrial  establishments  of 
Boston.  As  in  the  case  of  many  more  noted  men  of 
inventive  genius,  his  plans  were  more  vast  than  the 
means  of  accomplishment ;  and  the  result  was,  loss  of 
a  handsome  competency,  and  embarrassment  in  busi 
ness,  from  which  he  retired  with  unsullied  reputation, 
and  passed  his  latter  years  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston. 
Here  the  evening  of  his  life  was  cheered  by  the  con 
stant  and  watchful  care  of  his  wife,  whose  cheerful  and 
happy  temperament  shed  a  radiance  around  his  path, 
which,  from  a  naturally  desponding  character,  might 
otherwise  have  terminated  in  gloom.  She  had  been 
the  constant  companion  of  her  husband  in  all  his  jour- 
neyings  and  residences  in  nearly  every  State  in  the 
Union,  where  his  business  had  called  him  ;  and,  after 
forty  years,  returned  to  die  in  the  house  where  she  was 
born,  —  the  parsonage  once  occupied  by  her  father,  the 
Kev.  Amos  Adams,  of  Eoxbury,  who,  at  the  time  of 
the  Revolution,  was  minister  of  the  church  now  under 
the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Putnam. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  45 

Sarah  had  been  placed  in  the  family  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Chaplin,  minister  of  the  church  at  Groton,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  academy  when  Mr.  Lawrence  first  made 
her  acquaintance.  "  The  academy  balls,  the  agreeable 
partners  in  the  hall,  the  pleasant  companions  in  the 
stroll/'  remembered  with  so  much  pleasure  in  after  life, 
were  not  improbably  associated  with  this  acquaintance, 
who  had  become  a  visitor  and  friend  to  his  own  sisters. 
After  a  separation  of  four  years,  the  acquaintance  was 
accidentally  renewed  in  the  year  1807.  Sarah  was  on 
a  visit  at  Cambridge  to  the  family  of  Caleb  Gannett, 
Esq.,  then  and  for  many  years  afterwards  Steward  of 
Harvard  University.  In  a  letter  to  Rev.  Dr.  Gannett, 
dated  February  15,  1845,  Mr.  Lawrence  thus  alludes 
to  this  interview  : 

"  My  first  interview  with  you,  thirty-eight  yeais  ago,  when 
you  were  led  by  the  hand  into  the  store  where  I  then  was,  in 
Cornhill,  by  that  friend  (who  was  afterwards  my  wife),  uncon 
scious  of  my  being  within  thirty  miles,  after  a  four  years'  separa 
tion,  connects  you  in  my  thoughts  with  her,  her  children  and 
grandchildren,  in  a  way  that  no  one  can  appreciate  who  has  not 
had  the  experience." 

Enclosed  in  this  letter  was  a  faded  paper,  on  which 
were  written  several  verses  of  poetry,  with  the  follow 
ing  explanation  : 

"  Only  think  of  your  sainted  mother  writing  this  little  scrap 
thirty-eight  years  ago,  when  on  her  death-bed,  for  her  young 
friend,  then  on  a  visit  to  her,  to  teach  to  you,  who  could  not 


46  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

read;  and  this  scrap,  written  upon  a  blank  term-bill  without 
premeditation,  being  preserved  by  that  friend  while  she  lived, 
and,  after  her  death,  by  her  daughter  while  she  lived,  and,  after 
her  death,  being  restored  to  me  as  the  rightful  disposer  of  it ;  and 
my  happening,  within  four  days  after,  to  meet  you  under  such 
circumstances  as  made  it  proper  to  show  it  to  you." 

MRS.  GANNETT'S  HYMN  FOR  HER  LITTLE  BOY  IN  1807. 

How  can  a  child  forgetful  prove 

Of  all  that  wakes  the  heart  to  love, 

And  from  the  path  of  duty  stray, 

To  spend  his  time  in  sport  and  play ; 

Neglectful  of  the  blessing  given, 

Which  marks  the  path  to  peace  and  heaven  ? 

0  !  how  can  I,  who  daily  share 

A  mother's  kind,  assiduous  care, 

Be  idle,  and  ungrateful  too  ; 

Forsake  the  good,  the  bad  pursue ; 

Neglectful  of  the  blessings  given, 

Which  mark  the  path  to  peace  and  heaven  ? 

0  !  how  can  I  such  folly  show, 

When  faults  indulged  to  vices  grow,  — 

Who  know  that  idle  days  ne'er  make 

Men  that  are  useful,  good,  or  great  ? 

Dear  mother,  still  be  thou  my  guide, 

Nor  suffer  me  my  faults  to  hide ; 

And  0  may  God  his  grace  impart 

To  fix  my  feeble,  foolish  heart, 

That  I  may  wait  the  blessing  given, 

Which  marks  the  path  to  peace  and  heaven  ! 

MEM.  —  Mrs.  Gannett  died  soon  after  writing  this  on  a  blank  term-bill  of  Har 
vard  College,  in  1807.  — A.  L.,  1847. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Lawrence  took  place  in  Boston, 
on  the  6th  of  June,  1811,  three  months  after  announc 
ing  Ms  engagement  to  his  sister. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

BRAMBLE    NEWS.— JUNIOR   PARTNER    GOES    TO    ENGLAND.— 
LETTERS  TO  BROTHER. 

IN  1849,  Mr.  Lawrence  writes  as  follows  : 

"  On  the  1st  of  January,  1814,  I  took  my  brother  Abbott 
into  partnership  on  equal  shares,  putting  fifty  thousand  dollars, 
that  I  had  then  earned,  into  the  concern.  Three  days  afterwards, 
the  l  Bramble  News '  came,  by  which  the  excessive  high  price  of 
goods  was  knocked  down.  Our  stock  was  then  large,  and  had 
cost  a  high  price.  He  was  in  great  anguish,  considering  him 
self  a  bankrupt  for  at  least  five  thousand  dollars.  I  cheered  him 
by  offering  to  cancel  our  copartnership  indentures,  give  him  up 
his  note,  and,  at  the  end  of  the  year,  pay  him  five  thousand 
dollars.  He  declined  the  offer,  saying  I  should  lose  that,  and 
more  beside,  and,  as  he  had  enlisted,  would  do  the  best  he  could. 
This  was  in  character,  and  it  was  well  for  us  both.  He  was 
called  off  to  do  duty  as  a  soldier,  through  most  of  the  year.  I 
took  care  of  the  business,  and  prepared  to  retreat  with  my  family 
into  the  country  whenever  the  town  seemed  liable  to  fall  into  the 
Lands  of  the  British,  who  were  very  threatening  in  their  demon 
strations.  We  still  continue  mercantile  business  under  the  first 
set  of  indentures,  and  under  the  same  firm,  merely  adding  '  & 
Co.,'  as  new  partners  have  been  admitted." 

In  March,   1815,  the  junior  partner  embarked  on 

47 


48  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

board  the  ship  Milo,  the  first  vessel  which  sailed  from 
Boston  for  England  after  the  proclamation  of  peace 
On  the  eve  of  his  departure,  he  received  from  his 
brother  and  senior  partner  a  letter  containing  many 
good  counsels  for  his  future  moral  guidance,  as  well  as 
instructions  in  relation  to  the  course  of  business  to  be 
pursued.  From  that  letter,  dated  March  llth,  the 
following  extracts  are  taken  : 

"MY  DEAR  BROTHER:  I  have  thought  best,  before  you  go 
abroad,  to  suggest  a  few  hints  for  your  benefit  in  your  intercourse 
with  the  people  among  whom  you  are  going.  As  a  first  and 
leading  principle,  let  every  transaction  be  of  that  pure  and  honest 
character  that  you  would  not  be  ashamed  to  have  appear  before 
the  whole  world  as  clearly  as  to  yourself.  In  addition  to  the 
advantages  arising  from  an  honest  course  of  conduct  with  your 
fellow-men,  there  is  the  satisfaction  of  reflecting  within  yourself 
that  you  have  endeavored  to  do  your  duty ;  and,  however  greatly 
the  best  may  fall  short  of  doing  all  they  ought,  they  will  be  sure 
not  to  do  more  than  their  principles  enjoin. 

"  It  is,  therefore,  of  the  highest  consequence  that  you  should 
not  only  cultivate  correct  principles,  but  that  you  should  place 
your  standard  of  action  so  high  as  to  require  great  vigilance  in 
living  up  to  it. 

"In  regard  to  your  business  transactions,  let  everything  be  so 
registered  in  your  books,  that  any  person,  without  difficulty,  can 
understand  the  whole  of  your  concerns.  You  may  be  cut  off  in 
the  midst  of  your  pursuits,  and  it  is  ,of  no  small  consequence  that 
your  temporal  affairs  should  always  be  so  arranged  that  you  may 
be  in  readiness. 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  49 

"If  it  is  important  that  you  should  be  well  prepared  in  this 
point  of  view,  how  much  more  important  is  it  that  you  should  he 
prepared  in  that  which  relates  to  eternity  ! 

"You 'are  young,  and  the  course  of  life  seems  open,  and 
pleasant  prospects  greet  your  ardent  hopes ;  but  you  must 
remember  that  the  race  is  not  always  to  the  swift,  and  that  how 
ever  nattering  may  be  your  prospects,  and  however  zealously  you 
may  seek  pleasure,  you  can  never  find  it  except  by  cherishing 
pure  principles,  and  practising  right  conduct.  My  heart  is  full 
on  this  subject,  my  dear  brother,  and  it  is  the  only  one  on  which 
I  feel  the  least  anxiety. 

"  While  here,  your  conduct  has  been  such  as  to  meet  my  entire 
approbation ;  but  the  scenes  of  another  land  may  be  more  than 
your  principles  will  stand  against.  I  say,  may  be,  because 
young  men,  of  as  fair  promise  as  yourself,  have  been  lost  by 
giving  a  small  latitude  (innocent  in  the  first  instance)  to  their 
propensities.  But  I  pray  the  Father  of  all  mercies  to  have  you 
in  his  keeping,  and  preserve  you  amid  temptations. 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

"  I  can  only  add  my  wish  to  have  you  write  me  frequently  and 
particularly,  and  that  you  will  embrace  every  opportunity  of 
gaining  information.  Your  affectionate  brother, 

"  AMOS  LAWRENCE. 

"To  ABBOTT  LAWRENCE." 

Again,  on  the  28th  of  the  month,  he  writes  to  the 
same,  after  his  departure  : 

"  I  hope  you  will  have  arrived  in  England  early  in  April ;  and 
if  so,  you  will  be  awaiting  with  anxious  solicitude  the  arrival  of 
the  '  Galen,'  by  which  vessel  you  will  receive  letters  from  home, 
a  word  which  brings  more  agreeable  associations  to  the  mind  and 

7 


50  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

feelings  of  a  young  stranger  in  a  foreign  land  than  any  other  in 
our  language.  I  have  had  many  fears  that  you  have  had  a  rough 
passage,  as  the  weather  on  the  Friday  following  your  departure 
was  very  boisterous,  and  continued  so  for  a  number  of  days,  and 
much  of  the  time  since  has  been  uncomfortable.  I  trust,  how 
ever,  that  the  same  good  Hand  which  supplies  our  daily  wants  has 
directed  your  course  to  the  desired  port. 

"  With  a  just  reliance  on  that  Power,  we  need  have  no  fear, 
though  winds  and  waves  should  threaten  our  destruction.  The 
interval  between  the  time  of  bidding  adieu  and  of  actual  depart 
ure  called  into  exercise  those  fine  feelings  which  those  only  have 
who  can  prize  friends,  and  on  that  account  I  was  happy  to  see  so 
much  feeling  in  yourself. 

"  Since  your  departure  nothing  of  a  public  nature  has  trans 
pired  of  particular  interest.  All  that  there  is  of  news  or  interest 
among  us  you  will  gather  from  the  papers  forwarded. 

"  Those  affairs  which  relate  particularly  to  ourselves  will  be  of 
as  much  interest  as  any;  I  shall  therefore  detail  our  business 
operations. 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

"  My  next  and  constant  direction  will  be  to  keep  a  particular 
watch  over  yourself,  that  you  do  not  fall  into  any  habits  of  vice ; 
and,  as  a  means  of  preserving  yourself,  I  would  most  strictly 
enjoin  that  your  Sabbaths  be  not  spent  in  noise  and  riot,  but  that 
you  attend  the  public  worship  of  God.  This  you  may  think  an 
unnecessary  direction  to  you,  who  have  always  been  in  the  habit 
of  doing  so.  I  hope  it  may  be  ;  at  any  rate,  it  will  do  no  harm. 

'i  That  you  may  be  blessed  with  health,  and  enjoy  properly  the 
blessings  of  life,  is  the  wish  of  your  ever  affectionate  brother, 

"A.  L. 

"To  ABBOTT  LAWRENCE." 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  51 

(TO    ABBOTT    LAWRENCE.) 

"  BOSTON,  April  15th,  1815. 

"MY  DEAR  BROTHER:  By  the  favor  of  Heaven  I  trust  ere 
this  you  have  landed  upon  the  soil  from  which  sprang  our  fore 
fathers.  In  the  contemplation  of  that  wonderful  l  Isle  '  on  your 
first  arrival,  there  must  be  a  feeling  bordering  on  devotion.  The 
thousand  new  objects,  which  make  such  constant  demand  on  your 
attention,  will  not,  I  hope,  displace  the  transatlantic  friends  from 
the  place  they  should  occupy  in  your  remembrance.  Already  do 
I  begin  to  count  the  days  when  I  may  reasonably  hear  from  you. 

"  I  pray  you  to  let  no  opportunity  pass  without  writing,  as  you 
will  be  enabled  to  appreciate  the  pleasure  your  letters  will  give 
by  those  which  you  receive  from  home.  Since  your  departure, 
our  father  has  been  dangerously  ill ;  he  seems  fast  recovering,  but 
we  much  fear  a  relapse,  when  he  would,  in  all  probability,  be 
immediately  deprived  of  life,  or  his  disease  would  so  far  weaken 
him  as  to  terminate  his  usefulness.  Our  mother  continues  as 
comfortable  as  when  you  left  us.  Should  you  live  to  return, 
probably  one  or  both  our  parents  may  not  be  here  to  welcome 
you ;  we  have  particular  reason  for  thankfulness  that  they  have 
both  been  spared  to  us  so  long,  and  have  been  so  useful  in  the 
education  of  their  children. 

"All  others  of  our  connection  have  been  in  health  since  your 
departure,  and  a  comfortable  share  of  happiness  seems  to  have 
been  enjoyed  by  all. 

****** 

"  Now  for  advice :  you  are  placed  in  a  particularly  favorable 
situation,  my  dear  brother,  for  improving  yourself  in  the  knowl 
edge  of  such  things  as  will  hereafter  be  useful  to  you.  Let  no 
opportunity  pass  without  making  the  most  of  it.  There  are 
necessarily  many  vacant  hours  in  your  business,  which  ought  not 


52  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

to  pass  unemployed.  I  pretend  not  to  suggest  particular  objects 
for  your  attention,  but  only  the  habit  generally  of  active  employ 
ment,  which,  while  making  your  time  useful  and  agreeable  to 
yourself,  will  be  the  best  safeguard  to  your  virtue.  The  Ameri 
can  character,  I  trust,  is  somewhat  respected  in  England  at  this 
time,  notwithstanding  it  was  lately  at  so  low  an  ebb  ;  and  I  would 
wish  every  American  to  endeavor  to  do  something  to  improve  it. 
Especially  do  I  wish  you,  my  dear  A.,  who  visit  that  country 
under  circumstances  so  favorable,  to  do  your  part  in  establishing 
a  character  for  your  country  as  well  as  for  yourself.  Thus  prays 
your  affectionate  brother,  A.  L." 

To  his  wife,  at  Groton,  Mr.  Lawrence  writes,  under 
date  of  June  4,  1815  : 

"  The  Milo  got  in  yesterday,  and  brought  letters  from 
Abbott,  dated  4th  April.  He  was  then  in  Manchester,  and 
enjoyed  the  best  health.  He  wrote  to  our  father,  which  letter,  I 
hope,  will  arrive  at  Groton  by  to-morrow's  mail.  I  received  from 
him  merchandise,  which  I  hope  to  get  out  of  the  ship  and  sell 
this  week.  I  suspect  there  are  few  instances  of  a  young  man 
leaving  this  town,  sending  out  goods,  and  having  them  sold  within 
ninety  days  from  the  time  of  his  departure.  It  is  eighty-four 
days  this  morning  since  he  left  home." 

(TO   ABBOTT    LAWRENCE.) 

"  BOSTON,  Juno  7,  1815. 

"  DEAR  BROTHER  :  By  the  arrival  of  the  Milo  last  Saturday, 
and  packet  on  Monday,  I  received  your  several  letters,  giving  an 
account  of  your  proceedings.  You  are  as  famous  among  your 
acquaintances  here  for  the  rapidity  of  your  movements  as  Bona 
parte.  Mr. thinks  that  you  leave  Bonaparte  entirely  in  the 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  53 

background.     I  really  feel  a  little  proud,  my  dear  brother,  of 
your  conduct.     Few  instances  of  like  despatch  are  known. 

"  The  sensations  you  experienced  in  being  greeted  so  heartily 
by  the  citizens  of  Liverpool,  were  not  unlike  those  you  felt  on 
hearing  the  news  of  peace.  I  am  happy  to  state  to  you  that  our 
father  has  so  far  recovered  from  his  illness  as  to  be  able  to  attend 
to  his  farm.  Our  mother's  health  is  much  as  when  you  left. 

"  Your  friends  here  feel  a  good  deal  of  interest  in  your  welfare, 
and  read  with  deep  interest  your  letters  to  them.  The  opportu 
nity  is  peculiarly  favorable  for  establishing  a  reputation  as  a  close 
observer  of  men  and  manners,  and  for  those  improvements  which 
travelling  is  reputed  to  give. 

"  When  writing  to  you  sentences  of  advice,  my  heart  feels  all 
the  tender  sympathies  and  affections  which  bind  me  to  my  own 
children.  This  is  my  apology,  if  any  be  necessary,  for  so  fre 
quently  touching  on  subjects  for  your  moral  improvement. 

"  In  any  condition  I  can  subscribe  myself  no  other  than  your 
ever  affectionate  brother,  A.  L." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

DEATH    OF    SISTER.  — LETTERS. 

ON  the  19th  of  August,  1815,  Mr.  Lawrence,  in  the 
following  letter  to  his  brother,  announced  the  sudden 
death  of  a  sister,  who  to  youth  and  beauty  united  many 
valuable  qualities  of  mind  and  character  : 

"  To  you,  who  are  at  such  a  distance  from  home,  and  employed 
in  the  busy  pursuits  of  life,  the  description  of  domestic  woe  will 
not  come  with  such  force  as  on  us  who  were  eye-witnesses  to  an 
event  which  we  and  all  our  friends  shall  not  cease  to  deplore. 
We  have  attended  this  morning  to  the  last  sad  office  of  affection 
to  our  loved  sister  S.  Although  for  ourselves  we  mourn  the  loss 
of  so  much  excellence,  yet  for  her  we  rejoice  that  her  race  is  so 
soon  run.  We  are  permitted  to  hope  that  she  is  now  a  saint  in 
heaven,  celebrating  before  the  throne  of  her  Father  the  praises  of 
the  redeemed.  She  met  death  in  the  enjoyment  of  that  hope 
which  is  the  peculiar  consolation  of  the  believer.  This  event,  I 
know,  my  dear  brother,  is  calculated  to  awaken  all  the  tender 
recollections  of  home,  and  to  call  forth  all  your  sympathy  for 
the  anguish  of  friends ;  but  it  is  also  calculated  to  soften  the  heart, 
and  to  guide  you  in  your  own  preparation  for  that  great  day  of 
account.  The  admonition,  I  hope,  may  not  be  lost  on  any  of  us, 

and  happy  will  it  be  for  us  if  we  use  it  aright." 

64 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  55 

(TO   THE   SAME.) 

"  BOSTON,  October  19,  1815. 

"  DEAR  ABBOTT  :  By  this  vessel  I  have  written  to  you,  but 
am  always  desirous  of  communicating  the  last  intelligence  from 
home,  therefore  I  write  again.  The  situation  of  our  town,  our 
country,  our  friends,  and  all  the  objects  of  endearment,  continues 
the  same  as  heretofore.  We  are,  to  be  sure,  getting  into  a 
religious  controversy  which  does  not  promise  to  increase  the  stock 
of  charity  among  us,  but  good  will  undoubtedly  arise  from  it. 
The  passions  of  some  of  our  brethren  are  too  much  engaged,  and 
it  would  seem  from  present  appearances  that  consequences  unfa 
vorable  to  the  cause  of  our  Master  may  ensue ;  but  the  wrath  of 
man  is  frequently  made  subservient  to  the  best  purposes,  and  the 
good  of  mankind  may  in  this  case  be  greatly  promoted  by  what  at 
present  seems  a  great  evil.  Men's  passions  are  but  poor  guides  to 
the  discovery  of  truth,  but  they  may  sometimes  elicit  light  by 
which  others  may  get  at  the  truth. 

"  It  does  seem  to  me  that  a  man  need  only  use  his  common 
sense,  and  feel  a  willingness  to  be  instructed  in  the  reading  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  there  is  enough  made  plain  to  his  understanding 
to  direct  him  in  the  way  he  should  go. 

"  Others,  however,  think  differently;  but  that  should  not  be  a 
reason  with  me  for  calling  them  hard  names,  especially  if  by  their 
lives  they  show  that  they  are  followers  of  the  same  Master." 

On  December  2d,  he  writes  again : 

"  I  heard  from  you  verbally  on  the  1st  of  October,  in  company 
with  a  platoon  of  New  England  Guards ;  and  hope  the  head  of  the 
corps  allowed  Lord  Wellington  the  honor  of  an  introduction,  and 
of  inspecting  this  choice  corps,  which  once  had  the  honor  of  pro- 


56  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

tecting  the  constitution  and  independence  of  the  United  States, 
when  menaced  by  the  '  proud  sons  of  Britain.3  This  is  a  theme 
on  which  you  may  be  allowed  to  dwell  with  some  delight,  although 
there  are  no  recitals  of  hair-breadth  escapes  and  hard-fought 
actions,  when  numbers  bit  the  dust.  Yet  to  you,  who  were  active 
in  performing  duty,  this  should  be  a  source  of  comfortable  feeling, 
as  the  amount  of  human  misery  has  not  been  increased  by  your 
means.  Shakspeare's  knight  of  sack  thought  t  the  better  part  of 
valor  was  discretion,'  but  I  do  not  believe  the  Guards  would  have 
confirmed  this  sentiment,  had  the  opportunity  offered  for  a  trial. 
I  am  really  glad  to  hear  of  you  in  Paris,  and  hope  you  will 
improve  every  moment  of  your  time  in  acquiring  information  that 
will  be  agreeable  and  interesting ;  and,  more  particularly,  I  hope 
you  will  have  gone  over  the  ground  where  the  great  events  have 
happened  that  now  allow  Europe  to  repose  in  peace.  How  much 
should  I  delight  in  a  few  hours'  intercourse  with  you ;  but  that 
must  be  deferred  to  another  period,  perhaps  to  a  very  distant 
period. 

"  I  feel  very  healthy  and  very  happy ;  my  wife  and  children 
all  enjoying  health,  and  a  good  share  of  the  bounties  of  Providence 
in  various  ways.  Well  you  may  be  contented,  you  will  say. 
What  more  is  wanting?  Such  is  not  always  the  lot  of  man 
possessing  those  blessings.  There  is  often  a  voracious  appetite 
for  other  and  greater  blessings.  The  desire  for  more  splendor, 
the  possession  of  more  wealth,  is  coveted,  without  the  disposition 
to  use  it  as  an  accountable  creature ;  and  too  late  the  poor  man 
finds  that  all  his  toil  for  these  earthly  objects  of  his  worship  fails 
in  satisfying  or  giving  a  good  degree  of  content.  I,  therefore, 
have  reason  for  thankfulness  that  I  am  blessed  with  a  disposition 
to  appreciate  tolerably  the  temporal  blessings  I  enjoy.  To  the 
Father  of  all  mercies  I  am  indebted  for  this  and  every  other  good 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  57 

thing  ;  even  for  the  increased  affection  with  which  I  think  of  you. 
That  he  may  bless  and  keep  you,  dear  Abbott,  is  the  prayer  of 
your  brother,  A.  L." 

On  June  6th,  1817,  a  few  days  after  the  birth  of  a 
daughter,  he  writes  to  a  friend  : 

"  I  am  the  richest  man,  I  suppose,  that  there  is  on  this  side  of 
the  water,  and  the  richest  because  I  am  the  happiest.  On  the  23d 
ult.  I  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  a  fine  little  daughter ;  this,  as 
you  may  well  suppose,  has  filled  our  hearts  with  joy.  S.  is 
very  comfortable,  and  is  not  less  gratified  than  I  am.  I  wish  you 
were  a  married  man,  and  then  (if  you  had  a  good  wife)  you 
would  know  how  to  appreciate  the  pleasures  of  a  parent.  I  have 
lately  thought  more  than  ever  of  the  propriety  of  your  settling 
soon.  It  is  extremely  dangerous  to  defer  making  a  connection 
until  a  late  period ;  for  a  man  is  in  more  and  more  danger  of  not 
forming  one  the  longer  he  puts  it  off;  and  any  man  who  does  not 
form  this  connection  grossly  miscalculates  in  the  use  of  the  means 
which  God  has  given  him  to  supply  himself  with  pleasures  in  the 
downhill  journey  of  life. 

"  He  is  also  foolish  to  allow  himself  to  be  cheated  in  this  con 
nection  by  the  prospect  of  a  few  present  advantages,  to  the 
exclusion  of  the  more  permanent  ones.  Every  man's  best  pleas 
ures  should  be  at  home ;  for  there  is  the  sphere  for  the  exercise 
of  his  best  virtues  ;  and  he  should  be  particularly  careful,  in  the 
selection  of  a  partner,  to  get  one  who  will  jeopardize  neither.  On 
this  subject,  you  know,  I  am  always  eloquent.  But,  at  this  time, 
there  is  reason  for  my  being  so,  as  it  is  the  anniversary  of  my 
wedding  day. 

"  S.  has  put  her  eye  on  a  rib  for  you.     The  said  person,  you 


58  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

must  know,  is  of  a  comely  appearance  (not  beautiful),  is  rather 

taller  than ,  has  a  good  constitution,  is  perfectly  acquainted 

with  domestic  economy,  and  has  all  the  most  desirable  of  the 
fashionable  accomplishments,  such  as  music,  painting  &c. ;  and  my 
only  objection  to  her  is,  as  far  as  I  have  observed  her,  that  she 
has  a  few  thousand  dollars  in  cash.  This,  however,  might  be 
remedied ;  for,  after  furnishing  a  house,  the  balance  might  be 
given  to  her  near  connections,  or  to  some  public  institution.  I 
will  give  no  further  description,  but  will  only  say  that  her 
connections  are  such  as  you  would  find  pleasure  in.  No  more 
on  this  subject.  The  subject  of  principal  interest  among  us  now 
is  the  new  tariff  of  duties."  *  *  *  * 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

DOMESTIC  HABITS.— ILLNESS  AND  DEATH  OF  WIFE. 

IN  searching  for  records  of  the  business  at  this  period, 
the  first  copied  letters  are  found  in  a  volume  com 
mencing  with  the  date  of  March  10,  1815  ;  since  which 
period  the  correspondence,  contained  in  many  volumes, 
is  complete.  On  the  first  page  of  this  volume  is  ^a 
letter  from  the  senior  partner  somewhat  characteristic. 
It  relates  to  a  bill  of  exchange  for  two  thousand  rupees, 
which  he  knew  was  a  doubtful  one,  but  which  he  had 
taken  to  relieve  the  pressing  necessities  of  a  young 
Englishwoman  from  Calcutta,  with  a  worthless  husband. 
He  writes  to  his  friends  in  that  city  : 

"  We  have  been  so  particular  as  to  send  a  clerk  to  her  with  the 
money,  that  we  might  be  sure  of  her  receiving  it.  Previous  to' 
her  receiving  the  money  from  us,  we  were  told  her  children  were 
ragged,  barefooted,  and  hungry ;  afterwards  we  knew  they  were 
kept  comfortably  clad." 

In  tracing  the  course  of  business  as  revealed  by  the 
perusal  of  the  correspondence,  it  is  evident  that  Mr. 
Lawrence's  time  and  attention  must  have  been  en- 

59 


60  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

grossed  by  the  increasing  importance  and  magnitude 
of  the  mercantile  operations  of  his  firm.  The  cares 
and  perplexities  of  the  day  did  not,  however,  unfit 
him  for  the  quiet  enjoyments  of  domestic  life  ;  and, 
however  great  and  urgent  were  the  calls  upon  his 
time  and  his  thoughts  from  abroad,  home,  with  its 
endearments,  occupied  the  first  place  in  his  affections. 
So  much  did  its  interests  transcend  all  others  in  his  feel 
ings,  that  he  speaks  in  after  life  of  having  "  watched 
night  and  day  without  leaving,  for  a  fortnight, "  a  sick 
child  ;  and  then  being  rewarded  for  his  care  by  having 
it  restored  to  him  after  the  diligent  application  of 
remedies,  when  the  physician  and  friends  had  given  up 
all  hope  of  recovery. 

With  such  aifections  and  sources  of  happiness,  con 
nected  with  prosperity  in  his  affairs,  it  may  well  be 
supposed  that  the  current  of  life  flowed  smoothly  on. 
His  evenings  were  passed  at  home  ;  and  urgent  must 
have  been  the  call  which  could  draw  him  from  his  fire 
side,  where  the  social  chat  or  friendly  book  banished 
the  cares  of  the  day. 

A  gentleman,  now  a  prominent  merchant  in  New 
York,  who  was  a  clerk  with  Mr.  Lawrence  at  this  time, 
says  of  him  : 

"  When  the  business  season  was  over,  he  would  sit  down  with 
me,  and  converse  freely  and  familiarly,  and  would  have  something 
interesting  and  useful  to  say.  I  used  to  enjoy  these  sittings ; 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  61 

and,  while  I  always  feared  to  do  anything,  or  leave  anything 
undone,  which  would  displease  him,  I  at  the  same  time  had  a  very 
high  regard,  and  I  may  say  love,  for  him,  such  as  I  never  felt  for 
any  other  man  beside  my  own  father.  He  had  a  remarkable  faculty 
of  bringing  the  sterling  money  into  our  currency,  with  any 
advance,  by  a  calculation  in  his  mind,  and  would  give  the  result 
with  great  accuracy  in  one  quarter  of  the  time  which  it  took  me 
to  do  it  by  figures.  I  used  to  try  hard  to  acquire  this  faculty, 
but  could  not,  and  never  saw  any  other  person  who  possessed  it  to 
the  degree  he  did.  His  mind  was  remarkably  vigorous  and 
accurate;  and  consequently  his  business  was  transacted  in  a 
prompt  and  correct  manner.  Nothing  was  left  undone  until  to 
morrow  which  could  be  done  to-day.  He  was  master  of  and  con 
trolled  his  business,  instead  of  allowing  his  business  to  master  and 
control  him.  When  I  took  charge  of  the  books,  they  were  kept 
by  single  entry ;  and  Mr.  Lawrence  daily  examined  every  entry 
to  detect  errors.  He  was  dissatisfied  with  this  loose  way  of  keep 
ing  the  books;  and,  at  his  request,  I  studied  book-keeping  by 
double  entry  with  Mr.  Ger shorn  Cobb,  who  had  just  introduced 
the  new  and  shorter  method  of  double  entry.  I  then  transferred 
the  accounts  into  a  new  set  of  books  on  this  plan,  and  well 
remember  his  anxiety  during  the  process,  and  his  expression  of 
delight  when  the  work  was  completed,  and  I  had  succeeded  in 
making  the  first  trial-balance  come  out  right.  This  was  the  first 
set  of  books  opened  in  Boston  on  the  new  system.  While  Mr. 
Lawrence  required  all  to  fulfil  their  engagements  fully  and 
promptly,  so  long  as  they  were  able  to  do  so,  he  was  lenient  to 
those  who  were  unfortunate,  and  always  ready  to  compromise 
demands  against  such.  No  case  occurred,  while  I  was  with  him, 
in  which  I  thought  he  dealt  harshly  with  a  debtor  who  had  failed 
in  business." 


62  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

The  year  1818  opened  with  cheering  prospects  ;  but 
a  cloud  was  gathering  which  was  destined  to  cast  a 
•shadow  over  all  these  pleasant  hopes.  During  the 
spring,  Mrs.  Lawrence  was  troubled  with  a  cough, 
which  became  so  obstinate  at  the  beginning  of  the 
summer,  that  she  was  persuaded  to  remain  at  Groton 
for  a  short  period,  in  order  to  try  the  benefit  of  country 
air.  Mr.  Lawrence  writes  to  her,  July  16  : 

"I  am  forcibly  reminded  of  the  blessings  of  wife,  children,  and 
friends,  by  the  privation  of  wife  and  children ;  and,  when  at  home, 
I  really  feel  homesick  and  lonesome.  Here  I  am,  in  two  great 
rooms,  almost  alone ;  so  you  must  prepare  at  a  minute's  notice  to 
follow  your  husband." 

She  remained  in  the  country  for  several  weeks,  and 
was  summoned  suddenly  home  by  the  alarming  illness 
of  her  husband  ;  the  result  of  which,  for  a  time,  seemed 
very  doubtful.  After  a  season  of  intense  anxiety  and 
unremitted  watchings  at  his  bedside,  Mrs.  Lawrence 
was  seized  during  the  night  with  a  hemorrhage  from 
the  lungs.  This  symptom,  which  so  much  alarmed  her 
friends,  was  hailed  by  herself  with  joy,  as  she  now  had 
no  wish  to  outlive  her  husband,  whose  life  she  had 
despaired  of.  Mr.  Lawrence's  recovery  was  slow ; 
and,  as  soon  as  it  was  deemed  prudent,  he  was  sent  to 
Groton  to  recruit  his  strength.  He  writes,  under  date 
of  November  5,  1818  : 


DIARY    AND    .CORRESPONDENCE.  63 

"DEAREST  SARAH:  We  have  heard  of  the  fire  on  Tuesday 
evening,  and  hope  the  alarm  has  not  impaired  your  health.  I 
enjoy  myself  here  as  much  as  it  is  possible  for  any  one  to  do 
under  like  circumstances.  The  idea  of  leaving  the  objects  most 
dear  to  me,  a  wife  and  child  sick,  is  too  great  a  drawback  upon 
my  happiness  to  allow  me  as  much  quiet  as  is  desirable.  Yet  I 
have  great  reason  for  thankfulness  that  I  am  at  this  time  able  to 
enjoy  the  society  of  friends,  and  that  you  are  so  comfortable  as  to 
give  good  reason  to  hope  that  the  next  season  will  restore  to  you  a 
tolerable  share  of  health." 

Mrs.  Lawrence  writes,  in  reply  to  his  letter : 

"  I  have  just  received  yours,  and  feel  better  to  hear  that  you 
are  so  well.  I  hope  that  you  will  leave  no  means  unimproved  to 
regain  health.  Do  not  allow  unreasonable  fears  on  my  account. 
I  am  as  well  as  I  was  the  week  past ;  but  we  are  uneasy  mortals, 
and  I  do  not  improve  as  I  could  wish.  You  know  me :  therefore 
make  all  allowances.  It  is  a  cloudy  day." 

It  soon  became  evident  to  all  that  the  disease  under 
which  Mrs.  Lawrence  labored  was  a  settled  consump 
tion,  and  that  there  could  be  little  hope  of  recovery. 
To  her  mother  Mr.  Lawrence  writes,  Dec.  7  : 

"  Since  I  last  wrote  to  you,  there  has  been  no  material  change 
in  Sarah's  situation.  She  suffers  less  pain,  and  has  more  cheer 
ful  spirits  than  when  you  were  here.  She  is  very  well  apprised 
of  her  situation,  and  complains  that  those  who  are  admitted  to  see 
her  look  so  sorrowful,  that  it  has  a  painful  effect  upon  her  feel- 


64  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

ings.  She  is  desirous  of  being  kept  cheerful  and  happy;  and, 
as  far  as  I  am  capable  of  making  her  so,  I  do  it.  Yet  I  am  a 
poor  hand  to  attempt  doing,  with  my  feeble  health,  what  is  so 
foreign  to  my  feelings.  Although  she  is  much  more  comfortable 
than  she  was,  I  cannot  flatter  myself  that  she  is  any  better.  She 
still  retains  a  faint  hope  that  she  may  be  so ;  yet  it  is  but  a  faint 
one.  It  takes  much  from  my  distress  to  see  her  so  calm,  and  so 
resigned  to  the  will  of  the  Almighty.  Although  her  attachments  to 
life  are  as  strong  and  as  numerous  as  are  the  attachments  of  most, 
I  believe  the  principle  of  resignation  is  stronger.  She  is  a  genuine 
disciple  of  Christ ;  and,  if  my  children  .walk  in  her  steps,  they 
will  all  be  gathered  among  the  blest,  and  sing  the  song  of  the 
redeemed.  Should  it  be  the  will  of  God  that  we  be  separated  for 
a  season,  there  is  an  animation  in  the  hope  that  we  shall  meet 
again,  purified  from  the  grossness  of  the  flesh,  and  never  to  be 
parted.  i  God  tempers  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb.'  I  shall  have, 
therefore,  no  more  put  upon  me  than  I  am  able  to  bear ;  yet  I 
know  not  how  to  bring  my  mind  to  part  with  so  excellent  a  friend, 
and  so  good  a  counsellor." 

On  Jan.  13,  1819,  he  writes  : 

"  Sarah  has  continued  to  sink  since  you  left,  and  is  now 
apparently  very  easy,  and  very  near  the  termination  of  her  earthly 
career.  She  may  continue  two  or  three  days ;  but  the  prospect 
is,  that  she  will  not  open  her  eyes  upon  another  morning.  She 
suffers  nothing,  and  it  is,  therefore,  no  trial  to  our  feelings,  com 
pared  with  what  it  would  be  did  she  suffer.  Her  mind  is  a  little 
clouded  at  times,  but,  in  the  main,  quite  clear.  We  shall  give 
you  early  information  of  the  event  which  blasts  our  dearest  earthly 
hopes.  But  God  reigns  :  let  us  rejoice." 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  65 

A  few  hours  before  her  death,  she  called  for  a  paper 
(now  in  possession  of  the  writer),  and,  with  a  pencil, 
traced,  in  a  trembling  hand,  some  directions  respecting 
small  memorials  to  friends,  and  then  added  : 

"  Feeling  that  I  must  soon  depart  from  this,  I  trust,  to  a  better 
world,  I  resign  very  dear  friends  to  God,  who  has  done  so  much 
for  me.  I  am  in  ecstacies  of  love.  How  can  I  praise  him 
enough  !  To  my  friends  I  give  these  tokens  of  remembrance." 

On  the  14th  of  January,  1819,  Mr.  Lawrence  closed 
the  eyes  of  this  most  beloved  of  all  his  earthly  objects, 
and  immediately  relapsed  into  a  state  of  melancholy  and 
gloom,  which  was,  no  doubt,  greatly  promoted  by  the 
peculiar  state  of  health  and  physical  debility  under 
which  he  had  labored  since  his  last  illness. 

A  valued  friend  writes,  a  few  days  after  the  death  of 
Mrs.  L.  : 

"  It  was  my  privilege  to  witness  the  closing  scene ;  to  behold 
faith  triumphing  over  sense,  and  raising  the  soul  above  this  world 
of  shadows.  It  was  a  spectacle  to  convince  the  sceptic,  and  to 
animate  and  confirm  the  Christian.  About  a  week  before  her 
death,  her  increasing  weakness  taught  her  the  fallacy  of  all  hope 
of  recovery.  From  this  time,  it  was  the  business  of  every 
moment  to  prepare  herself  and  her  friends  for  the  change  which 
awaited  her.  Serene,  and  even  cheerful,  she  could  look  forward 
without  apprehension  into  the  dark  valley,  and  beyond  it  she 
beheld  those  bright  regions  where  she  should  meet  her  Saviour, 
through  whose  mediation  she  had  the  blessed  assurance  that  her 


66  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

sins  were  pardoned,  and  her  inheritance  secure.  God  permitted  a 
cloud  to  obscure  the  bright  prospect ;  it  was  but  for  a  moment, 
and  the  sun  broke  forth  with  redoubled  splendor.  On  the  last 
night  of  her  life,  she  appeared  to  suffer  extremely,  though,  when 
asked,  she  constantly  replied  in  the  negative.  She  repeated, 
in  a  feeble  voice,  detached  portions  of  hymns  of  which  she  had 
been  fond.  Towards  morning,  as  she  appeared  nearly  insensible, 
Mrs.  R.  was  persuaded  to  lie  down  and  rest.  Shortly  after, 
Sarah  roused  herself,  and  said  to  L.,  'I  am  going ;  call  my 
mother.'  Mrs.  R.  was  at  her  bedside  immediately,  and  asked  her 
if  she  was  sensible  that  she  was  leaving  the  world.  She  answered 
'  Yes.'  and  expressed  her  resignation. 

"Mrs.  R.  then  repeated  a  few  lines  of  Pope's  Dying  Christian, 
and  the  expiring  saint,  in  broken  accents,  followed  her.  On  her 
mother's  saying  'the  world  recedes,'  she  added,  'It  disappears, 
—  heaven  opens.'  These  were  the  last  words  I  heard  her  utter. 
She  then  became  insensible,  and  in  about  ten  minutes  expired. 
Not  a  sound  interrupted  the  sacred[  silence ;  the  tear  of  affection 
was  shed,  but  no  lamentation  was  heard.  The  eye  of  affection 
dwelt  on  the  faded  form,  but  faith  pointed  to  those  regions  where 
the  blessed  spirit  was  admitted  to  those  joys  which  eye  has  not 
seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  hath  it  entered  into  the  heart  of  man 
to  conceive.  Mr.  L.  is  wonderfully  supported.  He  feels  as  a  man 
and  a  Christian." 

Upon  this  letter  Mr.  Lawrence  has  endorsed  the 
following  memorandum : 

"I  saw  this  letter  to-day  for  the  first  time.  My  son-in-law 
handed  to  me  yesterday  a  number  of  memorials  of  my  beloved 
daughter,  who  was  called  home  on  the  second  day  of  December 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  67 

last,  when  only  a  few  months  younger  than  her  mother,  whose 
death  is  so  beautifully  described  within.  The  description  brought 
the  scene  back  to  my  mind  with  a  force  that  unmanned  me  for  a 
time,  and  leads  me  to  pray  most  earnestly  and  humbly  that  I  may 
be  found  worthy  to  join  them  through  the  beloved,  when  my 
summons  comes.  A.  L. 

"  February  5th,  1845." 


CHAPTER   IX. 

I 

JOURNEYS.  — LETTERS.  — JOURNEY  TO  NEW  YORK. 

THE  sense  of  loss  and  the  state  of  depression  under 
which  Mr.  Lawrence  labored  were  so  great,  that  he 
was  advised  to  try  a  change  of  scene  ;  and  accord 
ingly,  after  having  placed  his  three  children  with  kind 
relatives  in  the  country,  he  left  Boston,  on  a  tour, 
which  lasted  some  weeks,  through  the  Middle  States 
and  Virginia.  He  wrote  many  letters  during  this 
time,  describing  the  scenes  which  he  daily  witnessed, 
and  particularly  the  pleasure  which  he  experienced  in 
Virginia  from  the  unbounded  hospitality  with  which 
he  was  welcomed  by  those  with  whom  he  had  become 
acquainted.  He  also  visited  Washington,  and  listened 
to  some  important  debates  on  the  admission  of  Missouri 
into  the  Union,  which  produced  a  strong  and  lasting 
influence  upon  his  mind  respecting  the  great  questions 
then  discussed. 

In  a  letter  to  his  brother  from  the  latter  city,  dated 
Feb.  25th,  after  describing  a  visit  to  the  tomb  of 
Washington  at  Mount  Vernon,  he  writes  : 

"  Friend  Webster  has  taken  a  stand  here  which  no  man  can 

68 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  69 

surpass ;  very  few  are  able  to  keep  even  with  him.  He  has  made 
a  wonderful  argument  for  the  United  States  Bank.  If  he  does 
not  stand  confessedly  first  among  the  advocates  here,  he  does  not 
stand  second.  Tell  brother  L.  of  this ;  it  will  do  him  good." 

On  March  30,  he  writes  to  his  sister,  after  his  return 
to  Boston  : 

"  I  am  once  more  near  the  remains  of  her  who  was  lately  more 
dear  to  me  than  any  other  earthly  object,  after  an  absence  of  twc 
months ;  my  health  much  improved, —  I  may  say  restored ;  my 
heart  filled  with  gratitude  to  the  Author  of  all  good  for  so  many 
and  rich  blessings,  so  rapidly  succeeding  such  severe  privations 
and  trials." 

A  few  days  later,  he  writes  to  his  sister-in-law  : 

"  Sunday  evening,  April  4,  1819. 

"  DEAR  S. :  It  is  proper  that  I  should  explain  to  you  why  my 
feelings  got  so  much  the  better  of  my  reason  at  the  celebration  of 
the  sacrament  this  morning.  The  last  time  I  attended  that  ser 
vice  was  with  my  beloved  S.,  after  an  absence  on  her  part  of 
fifteen  months,  during  which  period  you  well  know  what  passed 
in  both  our  minds.  On  this  occasion  our  minds  and  feelings  were 
elevated  with  devotion,  and  (as  I  trust)  suitably  affected  with 
gratitude  to  the  Father  of  mercies  for  once  more  permitting  her 
to  celebrate  with  her  husband  this  memorial  of  our  Saviour. 
Then,  indeed,  were  our  hearts  gladdened  by  the  cheering  prospect 
of  her  returning  health  and  continued  life.  The  consideration 
that  I  had  since  this  period  been  almost  within  the  purlieu  of  the 
grave,  that  my  beloved  Sarah  had  fallen  a  sacrifice  to  her  care 
and  anxiety  for  me,  and  that  I  was  for  the  first  time  at  the  table 


70  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

of  the  Lord  without  her,  with  a  view  to  celebrate  the  most  solemn 
service  of  our  religion,  overwhelmed  me  as  a  torrent,  and  my 
feelings  were  too  powerful  to  be  restrained ;  I  was  almost  suf 
focated  in  the  attempt. 

"  Comment  is  unnecessary.  God  grant  us  a  suitable  improve 
ment  of  the  scene ! 

"  Your  affectionate  brother,  A.  L." 

On  April  6,  he  writes  to  a  friend  in  England  : 

"  Since  I  last  wrote,  family  misfortunes,  of  which  you  have 
from  time  to  time  been  apprised,  have  pressed  heavily  upon  me. 
I  am  now  in  tolerable  health,  and  hope  soon  to  see  it  entirely 
confirmed." 

After  a  visit  to  his  parents,  at  Groton,  he  says,  on 
April  9  : 

"  I  arrived  at  home  last  Saturday  night,  at  eleven  o'clock,  after 
rather  an  uncomfortable  ride.  However,  I  had  the  satisfaction  on 
Monday  of  exercising  my  right  of  suffrage,  which,  had  I  not 
done,  I  should  have  felt  unpleasantly.  I  wrote  to  M.,  on  Tues 
day,  under  a  depression  of  spirits  altogether  greater  than  I  have 
before  felt.  The  effect  of  hope  upon  my  feelings,  before  I  saw 
the  little  ones,  was  very  animating  •  since  that  time  (although  I 
found  them  all  I  could  desire),  the  stimulus  is  gone,  and  I  have 
been  very  wretched.  The  principles  I  cherish  will  now  have 
their  proper  effect,  although  nature  must  first  find  its  level.  Do 
not  imagine  I  feel  severely  depressed  all  the  time ;  although  I 
certainly  have  much  less  of  animal  spirits  than  I  had  before  my 
return,  I  do  not  feel  positively  unhappy.  Under  all  the  circum 
stances  it  is  thought  best  for  me  to  journey.  Hitherto,  I  have 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  71 

experienced  the  kind  protection  of  an  almighty  Friend ;  it  will 
not  hereafter  be  withheld.  Commending  all  dear  friends  and 
myself  to  Him,  I  remain  your  truly  affectionate  brother, 

"  A.  L." 

To  another  sister  he  writes  five  days  afterwards, 
before  commencing  a  second  journey  : 

"  In  a  few  moments  I  am  off.  I  gladly  seize  the  leisure  they 
furnish  me,  to  tell  you  I  feel  well,  and  have  no  doubt  of  having 
such  a  flow  of  spirits  as  will  make  my  journey  pleasant.  At  any 
rate,  I  start  with  this  determination.  You  know  not,  dear  E., 
the  delight  I  feel  in  contemplating  the  situation  of  my  little  ones ; 
this  (if  no  higher  principle)  should  be  sufficient  to  do  away  all 
repining  and  vain  regrets  for  the  loss  of  an  object  so  dear  as  was 
their  mother.  In  short,  her  own  wishes  should  operate  very 
strongly  against  these  regrets.  I  hope  to  be  forgiven  the  offence, 
if  such  it  be ;  and  to  make  such  improvement  of  it  as  will  sub 
serve  the  purposes  of  my  heavenly  Father,  who  doth  not  willingly 
afflict  the  children  of  men,  but  for  their  improvement.  My 
prayer  to  God  is,  that  the  affliction  may  not  be  lost  upon  me ; 
but  that  it  may  have  the  effect  of  making  me  estimate  more 
justly  the  value  of  all  temporal  objects,  and,  by  thus  softening 
the  heart,  open  it  to  the  kind  influences  of  our  holy  religion,  and 
produce  that  love  and  charity  well  pleasing  to  our  Father.  I 
have  no  object  in  view  further  south  than  Baltimore  ;  from  thence 
I  shall  go  across  the  Alleghanies,  or  journey  through  the  interior 
to  the  northern  border  of  this  country.  At  Baltimore  I  remain 
a  few  days  ;  my  business  there  is  as  delegate  from  Brattle-street 
Church,  in  the  settlement  of  a  minister,  a  young  gentleman 
named  Sparks,  from  Connecticut." 


72  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

(TO    ABBOTT    LAWRENCE.) 

"  PHILADELPHIA,  April  26,  1819. 

"  DEAR  BROTHER  :  When  I  see  how  people  in  other  places 
are  doing  business,  I  feel  that  we  have  reason  to  thank  God  that 
we  are  not  obliged  to  do  as  they  do,  but  are  following  that  regular 
and  profitably  safe  business  that  allows  us  to  sleep  well  o'  nights, 
and  eat  the  bread  of  industry  and  quietness.  The  more  I  see  of 
the  changes  produced  by  violent  speculation,  the  more  satisfied  I 
am  that  our  maxims  are  the  only  true  ones  for  a  life  together. 
Different  maxims  may  prove  successful  for  a  part  of  life,  but 
will  frequently  produce  disastrous  results  just  at  the  time  we 
stand  most  in  need;  that  is,  when  life  is  on  the  wane,  and  a 
family  is  growing  around  us. 

"  Two  young  brokers  in  —  -  have  played  a  dashing  game. 
They  have  taken  nearly  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  from  the 
bank,  without  the  consent  of  the  directors.  A  clerk  discounted 
for  them.  They  have  lost  it  by  United  States  Bank  speculations. 

"  Look  after  clerks  well,  if  you  wish  to  keep  them  honest. 
Too  good  a  reputation  sometimes  tempts  men  to  sin,  upon  the 
strength  of  their  reputation. 

"  As  to  business,  it  must  be  bad  enough  ;  that  is  nothing  new ; 
but  patience  and  perseverance  will  overcome  all  obstacles,  and, 
notwithstanding  all  things  look  so  dark,  I  look  for  a  good  year's 
work. 

"  You  must  remember  that  I  have  done  nothing  yet,  and  I 
have  never  failed  of  accomplishing  more  than  my  expectations ; 
so  I  say  again,  we  will  make  a  good  year's  work  of  it  yet,  by  the 
blessing  of  Heaven." 

From  Lancaster,  Penn.,  April  29,  he  writes  to  his 
sister  : 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  73 

"  My  feelings  are  usually  buoyant,  except  occasionally  when 
imagination  wanders  back  to  departed  days  ;  then  comes  over  me 
a  shadow,  which,  by  its  frequency,  I  am  now  enabled  to  dispel 
without  violence,  and  even  to  dwell  upon  without  injury." 

(TO   ABBOTT    LAWRENCE.) 

"  BALTIMORE,  May  25,  1819. 

"  DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  arrived  in  this  city  this  morning,  in  the 
steamboat,  from  Norfolk,  and  have  found  a  number  of  letters 
from  you  and  brother  W.  From  the  present  aspect  of  affairs  in 
this  city,  I  fear  that  I  shall  make  but  a  short  stay.  At  no 
period  has  the  face  of  afiairs  been  more  trying  to  the  feelings  of 
the  citizens.  Baltimore  has  never  seen  but  two  days  which  will 
compare  with  last  Friday :  one  of  those  was  the  mob  day,  the 
other  was  the  day  of  the  attack  by  the  British. 

"  Nearly  one  half  the  city,  embracing  its  most  active  and 
hitherto  wealthiest  citizens,  have  stopped  or  must  stop  payment. 
Confidence  is  prostrated,  capital  vanished. 

"  I  am  rejoiced  to  hear  of  your  easy  situation,  and  hope  it 
may  continue.  Avoid  responsibilities,  and  all  is  well  with  us. 
I  am  in  no  wise  avaricious,  and  of  course  care  not  whether  we 
make  five  thousand  dollars  more  or  less,  if  we  risk  twenty 
thousand  to  do  it. 

"  I  have  a  high  eulogium  to  pay  the  Virginians,  which  I  must 
reserve  for  another  letter ;  as  also  an  account  of  my  travels  from 
Petersburg." 

In  a  letter  to  a  friend,  dated  at  Baltimore,  he  says  : 

"Since  I  have  been  here,  I  have  been  constantly  occupied ; 
and,  although  the  heavy  cloud  which  overhangs  this  city  is  dis 
charging  its  contents  upon  their  heads,  they  bear  it  well,  resolv- 
10 


74  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

ing  that,  if  they  are  poor,  they  will  not  be  unsocial,  nor  uncivil . 
and  on  this  principle  they  meet  in  little  groups,  without  much 
style  or  ceremony,  and  pass  sensible  and  sociable  evenings 
together. 

"  I  have  really  become  very  much  interested  in  some  of  the 
people  here. 

"  And  now  my  advice  to  you  is,  get  married,  and  have  no  fear 
about  the  expense  being  too  great.  If  you  have  two  children 
born  unto  you  within  a  twelve-month,  you  will  be  the  richer  man 
for  it.  Nothing  sharpens  a  man's  wits,  in  earning  property  and 
using  it,  better  than  to  see  a  little  flock  growing  up  around  him. 
So  I  say  again,  man,  fear  not." 

On  his  return,  it  seems  to  have  been  his  object  to 
interest  himself  as  much  as  possible  in  business,  and 
thus  endeavor  to  divert  his  mind  from  those  painful 
associations,  which,  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts,  would 
sometimes  obtain  the  mastery.  In  the  mean  time,  he 
had  given  up  his  house,  and  resided  in  the  family  of 
his  brother  Abbott ;  where  he  was  welcomed  as  an 
inmate,  and  treated  with  so  much  sympathy  and  con 
siderate  kindness,  that  his  mind,  after  a  time,  recov 
ered  its  tone  :  his  health  was  restored,  and  he  was 
once  more  enabled  to  give  his  full  powers  to  the  grow 
ing  interests  of  his  firm.  For  the  few  succeeding 
years,  he  was  engaged  in  the  usual  routine  of  mercan 
tile  affairs,  and  has  left  but  few  memorials  or  letters, 
except  those  relating  to  his  business.  In  the  winter 
of  1820,  he  made  a  visit  to  New  York,  which  he 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  75 

describes   in  his   diary   under   date   of  February  15, 
1846: 

"  Yesterday  was  one  of  the  most  lovely  winter  days.  To-day 
the  snow  drives  into  all  the  cracks  and  corners,  it  being  a  bois 
terous  easterly  snow-storm,  which  recalls  to  my  mind  a  similar 
one,  which  I  shall  never  forget,  in  February,  1820. 

"  I  went  to  New  York  during  that  month,  for  the  New  Eng 
land  Bank,  with  about  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  foreign 
gold,  the  value  of  which  by  law  at  the  mint  was  soon  to  be 
reduced  from  eighty-seven  to  eighty-five  cents  per  pennyweight, 
or  about  that.  I  also  had  orders  to  buy  bills  with  it,  at  the  best 
rate  I  could.  Accordingly  I  invested  it,  and  had  to  analyze  the 
standing  of  many  who  offered  bills,  as  drawers  or  endorsers. 

"  Some  of  the  bills  were  protested  for  non-acceptance,  and 
were  returned  at  once,  and  damages  claimed.  This  was  new 
law  in  New  York,  and  resisted;  but  the  merchants  were  con 
vinced  by  suits,  and  paid  the  twenty  per  cent,  damages.  The  law 
of  damage  was  altered  soon  after. 

"  On  my  return,  I  took  a  packet  for  Providence,  and  came  at 
the  rate  of  ten  knots  an  hour  for  the  first  seven  hours  of  the 
night.  I  was  alarmed  by  a  crash,  which  seemed  to  me  to  be 
breaking  in  the  side  of  the  ship,  within  a  few  inches  of  my  head. 
I  ran  upon  deck,  and  it  was  a  scene  to  be  remembered.  Beside 
the  crew,  on  board  were  the  officers  of  a  wrecked  vessel  from 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  and  some  other  old  ship-masters,  all  at  work, 
and  giving  directions  to  a  coaster,  which  had  run  foul  of  us,  and 
had  lost  its  way.  By  favor  and  labor,  we  were  saved  from  being 
wrecked;  but  were  obliged  to  land  at  some  fifteen  miles  from 
Providence,  and  get  there  as  we  could  through  the  snow.  I 
arrived  there  almost  dead  with  headache  and  sickness.  Madam 


76  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

Dexter  and  her  daughter  left  the  day  before,  and  reached  home  in 
perfect  safety  before  the  storm.  Such  are  the  scenes  of  human 
life !  Here  am  I  enjoying  my  own  fireside,  while  all  who  were 
then  active  with  me  in  the  scenes  thus  recalled  are  called  to  their 
account,  excepting  Philip  Hone,  M.  Van  Schaick,  N.  Goddard, 
Chancellor  Kent,  and  his  son-in-law,  Isaac  Hone." 


CHAPTER    X. 

MARRIAGE.  — ELECTED  TO  LEGISLATURE.  —  ENGAGES  IN  MANUFAC 
TURES.  —  REFLECTIONS. 

IN  April,  1821,  Mr.  Lawrence  was  married  to  Mrs. 
Nancy  Ellis,  widow  of  the  late  Judge  Ellis,  of  Clare- 
mont,  N.  H.,  and  daughter  of  Kobert  Means,  Esq.,  of 
Amherst,  in  the  same  State.  His  children,  who  had 
been  placed  with  his  parents  and  sisters  at  Groton, 
were  brought  home  ;  and  he  was  now  permitted  again 
to  unite  his  family  under  his  own  roof,  and  to  enjoy 
once  more  those  domestic  comforts  so  congenial  to 
his  taste,  and  which  each  revolving  year  seemed  to 
increase  until  the  close  of  his  life. 

Mr.  Lawrence  was  elected  a  representative  from 
Boston  to  the  Legislature  for  the  session  of  1821  and 
22  ;  and  this  was  the  only  occasion  on  which  he  ever 
served  in  a  public  legislative  body.  Although  deeply 
engaged  in  his  own  commercial  pursuits,  he  was  con 
stantly  at  his  post  in  the  House  of  Representatives ; 
and  attended  faithfully  to  the  duties  of  his  office, 
although  with  much  sacrifice  to  his  own  personal 
interests.  Very  little  is  found  among  his  memoranda 
relating  to  this  new  experience.  As  a  member  of  a 


78  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

committee  of  the  Legislature  having  in  charge  the 
subject  of  the  erection  of  wooden  "buildings  in  Boston, 
he  seems  to  have  had  a  correspondence  with  the  late 
Hon.  John  Lowell,  who  took  strong  ground  before  the 
committee  against  the  multiplication  of  buildings  of 
this  material,  and  backed  his  arguments  with  some 
very  characteristic  statements  and  observations.  On 
one  of  these  letters  Mr.  Lawrence  made  a  memoran 
dum,  dated  March,  1845,  as  follows  : 

"  The  Boston  Rebel  was  a  true  man,  such  as  we  need  more  of 
in  these  latter  days.  The  open-mouthed  lovers  of  the  dear  peo 
ple  are  self-seekers  in  most  instances.  Beware  of  such." 

The  following  extract  is  taken  from  a  letter,  dated 
January  4th,  1822,  addressed  by  Mr.  Lawrence  to 
Hon.  Frederic  Wolcott,  of  Connecticut,  respecting  a 
son  who  was  about  to  be  placed  in  his  counting-room, 
and  who,  in  after  years,  became  his  partner  in  business  : 

"H.  will  have  much  leisure  in  the  evening,  which,  if  he 
choose,  may  be  profitably  devoted  to  study ;  and  we  hope  he  will 
lay  out  such  a  course  for  himself,  as  to  leave  no  portion  of  his 
time  unappropriated.  It  is  on  account  of  so  much  leisure,  that 
so  many  fine  youths  are  ruined  in  this  town.  The  habit  of 
industry  once  well  fixed,  the  danger  is  over. 

"  Will  it  not  be  well  for  him  to  furnish  you,  at  stated  periods, 
an  exact  account  of  his  expenditures?  The  habit  of  keeping 
such  an  account  will  be  serviceable,  and,  if  he  is  prudent,  the 
satisfaction  will  be  great,  ten  years  hence,  in  looking  back  and 
observing  the  process  by  which  his  character  has  been  formed. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  79 

If  he  does  as  well  as  he  is  capable,  we  have  no  doubt  of  your 
experiencing  the  reward  of  your  care  over  him." 

For  the  several  following  years,  Mr.  Lawrence  was 
deeply  engaged  in  business  ;  and  the  firm  of  which  he 
was  the  senior  partner  became  interested  in  domestic 
manufactures,  which,  with  the  aid  of  other  capitalists, 
afterwards  grew  into  so  much  importance,  until  now  it 
has  become  one  of  the  great  interests  of  the  country. 
Apart  from  all  selfish  motives,  he  early  became  one  of 
the  strongest  advocates  for  the  protection  of  American 
industry,  believing  that  the  first  duty  of  a  government 
is  to  advance  the  interests  of  its  own  citizens,  when  it 
can  be  accomplished  with  justice  to  others  ;  and  in 
opposition  to  the  system  of  free  trade,  which,  however 
plausible  in  theory,  he  considered  prejudicial  to  the 
true  interests  of  our  own  people.  He  was  conscientious 
in  these  opinions  ;  and,  in  their  support,  corresponded 
largely  with  some  of  the  leading  statesmen  at  Washing 
ton,  as  well  as  with  prominent  opponents  at  the  South, 
who  combatted  his  opinions  while  they  respected  the 
motives  by  which  he  was  actuated.  He  tested  his 
sincerity,  by  embarking  a  large  proportion  of  his  prop 
erty  in  these  enterprises  ;  and,  to  the  last,  entertained 
the  belief  that  the  climate,  the  soil,  and  the  habits  of 
the  people,  rendered  domestic  manufactures  one  of 
the  permanent  and  abiding  interests  of  New  England. 
During  seasons  of  high  political  excitement  and  sec 
tional  strife,  he  wrote  to  various  friends  at  the  South, 


80  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

urging  them  to  discard  all  local  prejudices,  and  to  enter 
with  the  North  into  manly  competition  in  all  those 
branches  of  domestic  industry  which  would  tend,  not 
only  to  enrich,  but  also  to  improve  the  moral  and 
intellectual  character  of  their  people.  He  watched, 
with  increasing  interest,  the  progress  of  Lowell  and 
other  manufacturing  districts,  and  was  ever  ready  to 
lend  a  helping  hand  to  any  scheme  which  tended  to 
advance  their  welfare.  Churches,  hospitals,  libraries, 
in  these  growing  communities,  had  in  him  a  warm  and 
earnest  advocate  ;  and  it  was  always  with  honest  pride 
that  he  pointed  out  to  the  intelligent  foreigner  the 
moral  condition  of  the  operative  here,  when  compared 
with  that  of  the  same  class  in  other  countries. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  in  each  year,  Mr.  Lawrence 
was  in  the  habit  of  noting  down,  in  a  small  memo 
randum-book,  an  accurate  account  of  all  his  property, 
in  order  that  he  might  have  a  clear  view  of  his  own 
affairs,  and  also  as  a  guide  to  his  executors  in  the  set 
tlement  of  his  estate,  in  case  of  his  death.  This  annual 
statement  commences  in  1814,  and,  with  the  exception 
of  1819,  when  he  was  in  great  affliction  on  account  of 
the  death  of  his  wife,  is  continued  every  year  until  that 
of  his  own  death,  in  1852.  In  this  little  volume  the 
following  memorandum  occurs,  dated  January  1,  1826  : 

"I  have  been  extensively  engaged  in  business  during  the  last 
two  years,  and  have  added  much  to  my  worldly  possessions  ;  but 
have  come  to  the  same  conclusions  in  regard  to  them  that  I  did  in 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  81 

1818.  I  feel  distressed  in  mind  that  the  resolutions  then  made 
have  not  been  more  effectual  in  keeping  me  from  this  overen- 
gagedness  in  business.  I  now  find  myself  so  engrossed  with  its 
cares,  as  to  occupy  my  thoughts,  waking  or  sleeping,  to  a  degree 
entirely  disproportioned  to  its  importance.  The  quiet  and  com 
fort  of  home  are  broken  in  upon  by  the  anxiety  arising  from  the 
losses  and  mischances  of  a  business  so  extensive  as  ours ;  and, 
above  all,  that  communion  which  ought  ever  to  be  kept  free 
between  man  and  his  Maker  is  interrupted  by  the  incessant  calls 
of  the  multifarious  pursuits  of  our  establishment." 

After  noting  down  several  rules  for  curtailing  his 
affairs,  he  continues  : 

"  Property  acquired  at  such  sacrifices  as  I  have  been  obliged 
to  make  the  past  year  costs  more  than  it 's  worth ;  and  the 
anxiety  in  protecting  it  is  the  extreme  of  folly." 

\st  of  January,  1827.  —  "The  principles  of  business  laid 
down  a  year  ago  have  been  very  nearly  practised  upon.  Our 
responsibilities  and  anxieties  have  greatly  diminished,  as  also  have 
the  accustomed  profits  of  business ;  but  there  is  sufficient  remain 
ing  for  the  reward  of  our  labor  to  impose  on  us  increased  respons 
ibilities  and  duties,  as  agents  who  must  at  last  render  an  account. 

God  grant  that  mine  be  found  correct !  " 
11 


CHAPTER  XI. 

REFLECTIONS.  — BUNKER   HILL   MONUMENT.  —  LETTERS. 

1st  of  January,  1828.  —  AFTER  an  account  of  his 
affairs,  he  remarks  : 

"The  amount  of  property  is  great  for  a  young  man  under 
forty-two  years  of  age,  who  came  to  this  town  when  he  was 
twenty-one  years  old  with  no  other  possessions  than  a  common 
country  education,  a  sincere  love  for  his  own  family,  and  habits 
of  industry,  economy,  and  sobriety.  Under  G-od,  it  is  these 
same  self-denying  habits,  and  a  desire  I  always  had  to  please,  so 
far  as  I  could  without  sinful  compliance,  that  I  can  now  look 
back  upon  and  see  as  the  true  ground  of  my  success.  I  have 
many  things  to  reproach  myself  with ;  but  among  them  is  not 
idling  away  my  time,  or  spending  money  for  such  things  as  are 
improper.  My  property  imposes  upon  me  many  duties,  which 
can  only  be  known  to  my  Maker.  May  a  sense  of  these  duties 
be  constantly  impressed  upon  my  mind ';  and,  by  a  constant  dis 
charge  of  them,  God  grant  me  the  happiness  at  last  of  hearing 
the  joyful  sound,  'Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant,  enter 
thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord  ! '  Amen.  Amen." 

Previous  to  this  date,  but  few  private  letters  written 
by  Mr.  Lawrence  were  preserved.  From  that  time, 
however,  many  volumes  have  been  collected,  a  greater 

82 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  83 

part  of  them  addressed  to  his  children.  Out  of  a  very 
large  correspondence  with  them  and  with  friends,  such 
selections  will  be  made  as  are  thought  most  interesting, 
and  most  worthy  to  be  preserved  by  his  family  and 
their  descendants.  The  nature  of  this  correspondence 
is  such,  involving  many  personal  matters  of  transient 
interest  that  often  scraps  of  letters  only  can  be  given  ; 
and,  although  it  will  be  the  aim  of  the  editor  to  give 
an  outline  of  the  life  of  the  author  of  these  letters,  it 
will  be  his  object  to  allow  him  to  speak  for  himself,  and 
to  reveal  his  own  sentiments  and  character,  rather  than 
to  follow  out,  from  year  to  year,  the  details  of  his 
personal  history.  This  correspondence  commences  with 
a  series  of  letters  extending  through  several  years,  and 
addressed  to  his  eldest  son,  who  was,  during  that  time, 
at  school  in  France  and  Spain. 

"  BOSTON,  November  11,  1828. 

"  I  trust  that  you  will  have  had  favoring  gales  and  a  pleasant 
passage,  andVill  be  safely  landed  at  Havre  within  twenty  days 
after  sailing.  You  will  see  things  so  different  from  what  you 
have  been  accustomed  to,  that  you  may  think  the  French  are  far 
before  or  behind  us  in  the  arts  of  life,  and  formation  of  society. 
But  you  must  remember  that  what  is  best  for  one  people  may  be 
the  worst  for  another ;  and  that  it  is  true  wisdom  to  study  the 
character  of  the  people  among  whom  you  are,  before  adopting 
their  manners,  habits,  or  feelings,  and  carrying  them  to  another 
people.  I  wish  to  see  you,  as  long  as  you  live,  a  well-bred, 
upright  Yankee,  Brother  Jonathan  should  never  forget  his 
self -respect,  nor  should  he  be  impertinent  in  claiming  more  for 


84  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

his  country  or  himself  than  is  due  ;  but  on  no  account  should  he 
speak  ungraciously  of  his  country  or  its  friends  abroad,  whatever 
may  be  said  by  others.  Lafayette  in  France  is  not  what  he  is 
here ;  and,  whatever  may  be  said  of  him  there,  he  is  an  ardent 
friend  of  the  United  States ;  and  I  will  venture  to  say,  if  you 
introduce  yourself  to  him  as  a  grandson  of  one  of  his  old  Yankee 
officers,  he  will  treat  you  with  the  kindness  of  a  father.  You 
must  visit  La  Grange,  and  G.  will  go  with  you.  He  will  not 
recollect  your  grandfather,  or  any  of  us.  But  tell  him  that 
your  father  and  three  uncles  were  introduced  to  him  here  in  the 
State  House ;  that  they  are  much  engaged  in  forwarding  the 
Bunker  Hill  Monument ;  and,  if  ever  he  return  to  this  country, 
it  will  be  the  pride  of  your  father  to  lead  him  to  the  top  of  it." 

Among  Mr.  Lawrence's  papers,  this  is  the  first 
allusion  to  the  Bunker  Hill  Monument,  in  the  erection 
of  which  he  afterwards  took  so  prominent  a  part,  and 
to  which  he  most  liberally  contributed  both  time  and 
money.  From  early  associations,  perhaps  from  the 
accounts  received  from  his  father,  who  was  present 
during  the  battle,  his  mind  became  strongly  interested 
in  the  project  of  erecting  a  monument,  and  particularly 
in  that  of  reserving  the  whole  battle-ground  for  the  use 
of  the  public  forever.  He  had  been  chosen  one  of  the 
Building  Committee  of  the  Board  of  Directors  in  Octo 
ber,  1825,  in  company  with  Dr.  John  C.  Warren, 
General  H.  A.  S.  Dearborn,  George  Blake,  and  Wil 
liam  Sullivan.  From  this  time  until  the  completion  of 
the  monument,  the  object  occupied  a  prominent  place 
in  his  thoughts  ;  and  allusion  to  his  efforts  in  its  behalf 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  85 

during  the  succeeding  years  will,  from  time  to  time,  be 
introduced. 

On  December  13,  1828,  lie  thus  alludes  to  the  death 
of  an  invalid  daughter  six  years  of  age  : 

"  She  was  taken  with  lung  fever  on  the  4th,  and  died,  after 
much  suffering  and  distress,  on  the  8th.  Nothing  seemed  to 
relieve  her  at  all;  and  I  was  thankful  when  the  dear  child 
ceased  to  suffer,  and  was  taken  to  the  bosom  of  her  Saviour, 
where  sickness  and  suffering  will  no  more  reach  her,  and  the 
imperfections  of  her  earthly  tenement  will  be  corrected,  and  her 
mind  and  spirit  will  be  allowed  to  expand  and  grow  to  their  full 
stature  in  Christ.  In  his  hands  I  most  joyfully  leave  her,  hoping 
that  I  may  rejoin  her  with  the  other  children  whom  it  has  pleased 
God  to  give  me." 

(TO  HIS  SON.) 

"  December  29. 

"  My  thoughts  are  often  led  to  contemplate  the  condition  of 
my  children  in  every  variety  of  situation,  more  especially  in 
sickness,  since  the  death  of  dear  M.  Although  I  do  not  allow 
myself  to  indulge  in  melancholy  or  fearful  forebodings,  I  cannot 
but  feel  the  deepest  solicitude  that  their  minds  and  principles 
should  be  so  strengthened  and  stayed  upon  their  God  and  Saviour 
as  to  give  them  all  needed  support  in  a  time  of  such  trial  and 
suffering.  You  are  so  situated  as  perhaps  not  to  recall  so  fre 
quently  to  your  mind  as  may  be  necessary  the  principles  in 
which  you  have  been  educated.  But  let  me,  in  the  absence  of 
these  objects,  remind  you  that  God  is  ever  present,  and  sees  the 
inmost  thoughts ;  and,  while  he  allows  every  one  to  act  freely,  he 
gives  to  such  as  earnestly  and  honestly  desire  to  do  right  all 
needed  strength  and  encouragement  to  do  it.  Therefore,  my  dear 


86  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

son,  do  not  cheat  yourself  by  doing  what  you  suspect  may  be 
wrong.  You  are  as  much  accountable  to  your  Maker  for  an 
enlightened  exercise  of  your  conscience,  as  you  would  be  to  me 
to  use  due  diligence  in  taking  care  of  a  bag  of  money  which  I 
might  send  by  you  to  Mr.  W.  If  you  were  to  throw  it  upon 
deck,  or  into  the  bottom  of  the  coach,  you  would  certainly  be 
culpable  ;  but,  if  you  packed  it  carefully  in  your  trunk,  and 
placed  the  trunk  in  the  usual  situation,  it  would  be  using  com 
mon  care.  So  in  the  exercise  of  your  conscience :  if  you  refuse 
to  examine  whether  an  action  is  right  or  wrong,  you  voluntarily 
defraud  yourself  of  the  guide  provided  by  the  Almighty.  If  you 
do  wrong,  you  have  no  better  excuse  than  he  who  had  done  so 
willingly  and  wilfully.  It  is  the  sincere  desire  that  will  be 
accepted." 

To  his  second  son,  then  at  school  in  Andover,  he 
writes  : 

"I  received  your  note  yesterday,  and  was  prepared  to  hear 
your  cash  fell  short,  as  a  dollar-bill  was  found  in  your  chamber 
on  the  morning  you  left  home.  You  now  see  the  benefit  of 
keeping  accounts,  as  you  would  not  have  been  sure  about  this 
loss  without  having  added  up  your  account.  Get  the  habit 
firmly  fixed  of  putting  down  every  cent  you  receive  and  every 
cent  you  expend.  In  this  way  you  will  acquire  some  knowledge 
of  the  relative  value  of  things,  and  a  habit  of  judging  and  of 
care  which  will  be  of  use  to  you  during  all  your  life.  -Among 
the  numerous  people  who  have  failed  in  business  within  my 
knowledge,  a  prominent  cause  has  been  a  want  of  system  in 
their  affairs,  by  which  to  know  when  their  expenses  and  losses 
exceeded  their  profits.  This  habit  is  as  necessary  for  profes 
sional  men  as  for  a  merchant ;  because,  in  their  business,  there 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  87 

are  numerous  ways  to  make  little  savings,  if  they  find  their  income 
too  small,  which  they  would  not  adopt  without  looking  at  the 
detail  of  all  their  expenses.  It  is  the  habit  of  consideration  I 
wish  you  to  acquire ;  and  the  habit  of  being  accurate  will  have 
an  influence  upon  your  whole  character  in  life." 

(TO   HIS   SON   IN   FRANCE.) 

."April  28,  1829. 

"  I  beseech  you  to  consider  well  the  advantages  you  enjoy,  and 
to  avail  yourself  of  your  opportunities  to  give  your  manners  a 
little,  more  ease  and  polish ;  for,  you  may  depend  upon  it,  man 
ners  are  highly  important  in  your  intercourse  with  the  world. 
Good  principles,  good  temper,  and  good  manners,  will  carry  a 
man  through  the  world  much  better  than  he  can  get  along  with 
the  absence  of  either.  The  most  important  is  good  principles. 
Without  these,  the  best  manners,  although,  for  a  time,  very 
acceptable,  cannot  sustain  a  person  in  trying  situations. 

"  If  you  live  to  attain  the  age  of  thirty,  the  interim  will 
appear  but  a  span ;  and  yet  at  that  time  you  will  be  in  the  fujl 
force  of  manhood.  To  look  forward  to  that  period,  it  seems  very 
long ;  and  it  is  long  enough  to  make  great  improvement.  Do  not 
omit  the  opportunity  to  acquire  a  character  and  habits  that  will 
continue  to  improve  during  the  remainder  of  life.  At  its  close, 
the  reflection  that  you  have  thus  done  will  be  a  support  and  stay 
worth  more  than  any  sacrifice  you  may  ever  feel  called  on  to 
make  in  acquiring  these  habits." 

(TO    THE   SAME.) 

"June  7,  1829. 

"I  was  forcibly  reminded,  on  entering  our  tomb  last  evening, 
of  the  inroads  which  death  has  made  in  our  family  since  1811,  at 
the  period  when  I  purchased  it.  How  soon  any  of  us  who  sur 
vive  may  mingle  our  dust  with  theirs,  is  only  known  to  Ornnis- 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

cience ;  but,  at  longest,  it  can  be  in  his  view  but  a  moment,  a 
mere  point  of  time.  How  important,  then,  to  us  who  can  use  this 
mere  point  for  our  everlasting  good,  that  we  should  do  it,  and  not 
squander  it  as  a  thing  without  value  !  Think  upon  this,  my  son ; 
and  do  not  merely  admit  the  thought  into  your  mind  and  drive  it 
out  by  vain  imaginations,  but  give  it  an  abiding  and  practical  use. 
To  set  a  just  value  upon  time,  and  to  make  a  just  use  of  it, 
deprives  no  one  of  any  rational  pleasure :  on  the  contrary,  it 
encourages  temperance  in  the  enjoyment  of  all  the  good  things 
which  a  good  Providence  has  placed  within  our  reach,  and  thank 
fulness  for  all  opportunities  of  bestowing  happiness  on  our  fellow- 
beings.  Thus  you  have  an  opportunity  of  making  me  and  your 
other  friends  happy,  by  diligence  in  your  studies,  temperance, 
truth,  integrity,  and  purity  of  life  and  conversation.  I  may  not 
write  to  you  again  for  a  number  of  weeks,  as  I  shall  commence  a 
journey  to  Canada  in  a  few  days.  You  will  get  an  account  of 
the  journey  from  some  of  the  party." 


CHAPTER    XII. 

JOURNEY  TO   CANADA.— LETTERS.  — DIARY.— CHARITIES. 

MR.  LAWRENCE,  with  a  large  party,  left  Boston  on 
the  13th  of  June,  and  passed  through  Vermont,  across 
the  Green  Mountains,  to  Montreal  and  Quebec.  Com 
pared  with  these  days  of  railroad  facilities,  the  journey 
was  slow.  It  was  performed  very  leisurely  in  hired 
private  vehicles,  and  seems  to  have  been  much  enjoyed. 
He  gives  a  glowing*1  account  of  the  beauty  of  the 
country  through  which  he  passed,  as  well  as  his 
impressions  of  the  condition  of  the  population. 

From  Quebec  the  party  proceeded  to  Niagara  Falls, 
and  returned  through  the  State  of  New  York  to  Bos 
ton,  "  greatly  improved  in  health  and  spirits."  This, 
with  one  other  visit  to  Canada  several  years  before, 
was  the  only  occasion  on  which  Mr.  Lawrence  ever 
left  the  territory  of  the  United  States  ;  for,  though 
sometimes  tempted,  in  after  years,  to  visit  the  Old 
World,  his  occupations  and  long- continued  feeble 
health  prevented  his  doing  so. 

12  89 


90  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

(TO  HIS  SON.) 

"  July  27. 

"If,  in  an  endeavor  to  do  right,  we  fall  short,  we  shall  still 
be  in  the  way  of  duty ;  and  that  is  first  to  be  looked  at.  We 
must  keep  in  mind  that  we  are  to  render  an  account  of  the  use 
of  those  talents  which  are  committed  to  us ;  and  we  are  to  be 
judged  by  unerring  Wisdom,  which  can  distinguish  all  the 
motives  of  action,  as  well  as  weigh  the  actions.  As  our  steward 
ship  has  been  faithful  or  otherwise,  will  be  the  sentence  pro 
nounced  upon  us.  Give  this  your  best  thoughts,  for  it  is  a 
consideration  of  vast  importance." 

"  August  27. 

"  Bring  home  no  foreign  fancies  which  are  inapplicable  to  our 
state  of  society.  It  is  very  common  for  our  young  men  to  come 
home  and  appear  quite  ridiculous  in  attempting  to  introduce 
their  foreign  fashions.  It  should  be  always  kept  in  mind  that 
the  state  of  society  is  widely  different  here  from  that  in  Europe ; 
and  our  comfort  and  character  require  it  should  long  remain  so. 
Those  who  strive  to  introduce  many  of  the  European  habits  and 
fashions,  by  displacing  our  own,  do  a  serious  injury  to  the 
republic,  and  deserve  censure.  An  idle  person,  with  good  pow 
ers  of  mind,  becomes  torpid  and  inactive  after  a  few  years  of 
indulgence,  and  is  incapable  of  making  any  high  effort ;  highly 
important  it  is,  then,  to  avoid  this  enemy  of  mental  and  moral 
improvement.  I  have  no  wish  that  you  pursue  trade.  I  would 
rather  see  you  on  a  farm,  or  studying  any  profession." 

"  October  16. 

"  It  should  always  be  your  aim  so  to  conduct  yourself  that 
those  whom  you  value  most  in  the  world  would  approve  your 
conduct,  if  all  your  actions  were  laid  bare  to  their  inspection ; 
and  thus  you  will  be  pretty  sure  that  He  who  sees  the  motive  of 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  91 

all  our  actions  will  accept  the  good  designed,  though  it  fall  short 
in  its  accomplishment.  You  are  young,  and  are  placed  in  a 
situation  of  great  peril,  and  are  perhaps  sometimes  tempted  to  do 
things  which  you  would  not  do  if  you  knew  yourself  under  the 
eye  of  your  guardian.  The  blandishments  of  a  beautiful  city 
may  lead  you  to  forget  that  you  are  always  surrounded,  sup 
ported,  and  seen,  by  that  best  Guardian." 

"  December  27. 

'•  I  suppose  Christmas  is  observed  with  great  pomp  in  France. 
It  is  a  day  which  our  Puritan  forefathers,  in  their  separation 
from  the  Church  of  England,  endeavored  to  blot  out  from  the 
days  of  religious  festivals ;  and  this  because  it  was  observed  with 
so  much  pomp  by  the  Romish  Church.  In  this,  as  well  as  in 
many  other  things,  they  were  as  unreasonable  as  though  they 
had  said  they  would  not  eat  bread  because  the  Roman  Catholics 
do.  I  hope  and  trust  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  Christmas 
will  be  observed  by  the  descendants  of  the  Puritans  with  all 
suitable  respect,  as  the  first  and  highest  holiday  of  Christians ; 
combining  all  the  feelings  and  views  of  New  England  Thanks 
giving  with  all  the  other  feelings  appropriate  to  it." 

"  January  31,  1830. 

"  You  have  seen,  perhaps,  that  the  Directors  of  the  Bunker 
Hill  Monument  Association  have  applied  to  the  Legislature  for  a 
lottery.  I  am  extremely  sorry  for  it.  I  opposed  the  measure  ji 
all  its  stages,  and  feel  mortified  that  they  have  done  so.  They 
cannot  get  it,  and  I  desire  that  General  Lafayette  may  understand 
this ;  and,  if  he  will  write  us  a  few  lines  during  the  coming 
year,  it  will  help  us  in  getting  forward  a  subscription.  When 
our  citizens  shall  have  had  one  year  of  successful  business,  they 
will  be  ready  to  give  the  means  to  finish  the  monument.  My 


92  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

feelings  are  deeply  interested  in  it,  believing  it  highly  valuable 
as  a  nucleus  for  the  affections  of  the  people  in  after  time ;  and, 
if  my  life  be  spared  and  my  success  continue,  I  will  never  cease 
my  efforts  until  it  be  completed." 

Further  details  will  be  given  in  this  volume  to  show 
how  nobly  Mr.  Lawrence  persevered  in  the  resolution 
thus  deliberately  formed  ;  and,  though  he  was  destined 
to  witness  many  fruitless  efforts,  he  had  the  satisfaction 
at  last  of  seeing  the  completion  of  the  monument,  and 
from  its  summit  of  pointing  out  the  details  of  the 
battle  to  the  son  of  one  of  the  British  generals  in 
command*  on  that  eventful  day. 

On  the  same  page  with  the  estimate  of  his  property 
for  the  year  1830,  he  writes  : 

"  With  a  view  to  know  the  amount  of  my  expenditures  for 
objects  other  than  the  support  of  my  family,  I  have,  for  the  year 
1829,  kept  a  particular  account  of  such  other  expenses  as  come 
under  the  denomination  of  charities,  and  appropriations  for  the 
benefit  of  others  not  of  my  own  household,  for  many  of  whom  I 
feel  under  the  same  obligation  as  for  my  own  family." 

This  memorandum  was  commenced  on  the  1st  of 
Jaauary,  1829,  and  is  continued  until  December  30, 
1852,  the  last  day  of  his  life.  It  contains  a  com 
plete  statement  of  his  charities  during  that  whole 
period,  including  not  only  what  he  contributed  in 
money,  but  also  all  other  donations,  in  the  shape  of 

*  Lord  Prudhoe,  now  Duke  of  Northumberland. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  93 

clothing  materials,  books,  provisions,  &c.  His  cus 
tom  was  to  note  down  at  cost  the  value  of  the  dona 
tion,  after  it  had  been  despatched  ;  whether  in  the 
shape  of  a  book,  a  turkey,  or  one  of  his  immense 
bundles  of  varieties  to  some  poor  country  minister's 
family,  as  large,  as  he  says  in  addressing  one,  "  as  a 
small  haycock."  Two  rooms  in  his  house,  and  some 
times  three,  were  used  principally  for  the  reception  of 
useful  articles  for  distribution.  There,  when  stormy 
weather  or  ill  health  prevented  him  from  taking  his 
usual  drive,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  passing  hours  in 
selecting  and  packing  up  articles  which  he  considered 
suitable  to  the  wants  of  those  whom  he  wished  to  aid. 
On  such  days,  his  coachman's  services  were  put  in 
requisition  to  pack  and  tie  up  "  the  small  haycocks  ;  " 
and  many  an  illness  was  the  result  of  over-exertion 
and  fatigue  in  supplying  the  wants  of  his  poorer 
brethren.  These  packages  were  selected  according  to 
the  wants  of  the  recipients,  and  a  memorandum  made 
of  the  contents.  In  one  case,  he  notifies  Professor 

— ,  of  College,  that  he  has  sent  by  railroad 

"  a  barrel  and  a  bundle  of  books,  with  broadcloth  and 
pantaloon  stuffs,  with  odds  and  ends  for  poor  students 
when  they  go  out  to  keep  school  in  the  winter." 
Another,  for  the  president  of  a  college  at  the  West, 
one  piece  of  silk  and  worsted,  for  three  dresses  ;  one 
piece  of  plaid,  for  "  M.  and  mamma  ;  "  a  lot  of  pretty 
books  ;  a  piece  of  lignum- vitse  from  the  Navy  Yard, 


94  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

as  a  text  for  the  support  of  the  navy  ;  and  various 
items  for  the  children  :  value,  twenty-five  dollars. 

To  a  professor  in  a  college  in  a  remote  region  he 
sends  a  package  containing  "  dressing-gown,  vest, 
hat,  slippers,  jack-knife,  scissors,  pins,  neck-handker 
chiefs,  pantaloons,  cloth  for  coat,  *  History  of  Groton,' 
lot  of  pamphlets,"  &c. 

Most  of  the  packages  forwarded  contained  substan 
tial  articles  for  domestic  use,  and  were  often  accom 
panied  by  a  note  containing  from  five  to  fifty  dollars 
in  money. 

The  distribution  of  books  was  another  mode  of 
usefulness  to  which  Mr.  Lawrence  attached  much 
importance. 

In  his  daily  drives,  his  carriage  was  well  stored  with 
useful  volumes,  which  he  scattered  among  persons  of 
all  classes  and  ages  as  he  had  opportunity. 

These  books  were  generally  of  a  religious  character, 
while  others  of  a  miscellaneous  nature  were  purchased 
in  large  numbers,  and  sent  to  institutions,  or  individ 
uals  in  remote  parts  of  the  country. 

He  purchased  largely  the  very  useful  as  well  as 
tasteful  volumes  of  the  American  Tract  Society  and 
the  Sunday- School  Union.  An  agent  of  the  latter 
society  writes  :  "I  had  almost  felt  intimately  ac 
quainted  with  him,  as  nearly  every  pleasant  day  he 
visited  the  depository  to  fill  the  front  seat  of  his  coach 
with  books  for  distribution." 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  95 

Old  and  young,  rich  and  poor,  shared  equally  in 
these  distributions ;  and  he  rarely  allowed  an  occasion 
to  pass  unimproved  when  he  thought  an  influence  could 
be  exerted  by  the  gift  of  an  appropriate  volume. 

While  waiting  one  day  in  his  carriage  with  a  friend, 
in  one  of  the  principal  thoroughfares  of  the  city,  he 
beckoned  to  a  genteelly-dressed  young  man  who  was 
passing,  and  handed  him  a  book.  Upon  being  asked 
whether  the  young  man  was  an  acquaintance,  he 
replied  : 

"  No,  he  is  not ;  but  you  remember  where  it  is 
written,  £  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters,  for  thou 
shalt  find  it  after  many  days.'  " 

"  A  barrel  of  books  "  is  no  uncommon  item  found  in 
his  record  of  articles  almost  daily  forwarded  to  one  and 
another  of  his  distant  beneficiaries. 


CHAPTEE   XIII. 

CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  MR.  WEBSTER.  —  LETTERS. 

(TO  HIS  SON.) 

"  February  5,  1830. 

"  BE  sure  and  visit  La  Grange  before  you  return ;  say  to  Gen 
eral  Lafayette  that  the  Bunker  Hill  Monument  will  certainly  be 
finished,  and  that  the  foolish  project  of  a  lottery  has  been  aban 
doned.  If,  in  the  course  of  Providence,  I  should  be  taken -away, 
I  hope  my  children  will  feel  it  a  duty  to  continue  the  efforts  that 
are  made  in  this  work,  which  I  have  had  so  much  at  heart,  and 
have  labored  so  much  for." 

To  his  son,  then  at  school  at  Versailles,  he  writes 
on  Feb.  26,  1830  : 

"  After  hearing  from  you  again,  I  can  judge  better  what  to 
advise  respecting  your  going  into  Spain.  At  all  events,  let  no 
hope  of  going,  or  seeing,  or  doing  anything  else,  prevent  your 
using  the  present  time  for  improving  yourself  in  whatever  you 
find  to  do.  My  greatest  fear  is,  that  you  may  form  a  wrong 
judgment  of  what  constitutes  your  true  respectability,  happiness, 
and  usefulness.  To  a  youth  just  entering  on  the  scenes  of  life, 
the  roses  on  the  wayside  appear  without  thorns;  but,  in  the 
eagerness  to  snatch  them,  many  find,  to  their  sorrow,  that  all 
which  appears  so  fair  is  not  in  possession  what  it  was  in  prospect, 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  97 

and  that  beneath  the  rose  there  is  a  thorn  that  sometimes  wounds 
like  a  serpent's  bite.  Let  not  appearances  deceive  you ;  for, 
when  once  you  have  strayed,  the  second  temptation  is  more  likely 
to  be  fallen  into  than  the  first." 

"  March  6,  1830. 

"  We  are  all  in  New  England  deeply  interested  by  Mr.  Web 
ster's  late  grand  speech  in  the  Senate,  vindicating  New  England 
men  and  New  England  measures  from  reproach  heaped  upon 
them  by  the  South  ;  it  was  his  most  powerful  effort,  and  you  will 
see  the  American  papers  are  full  of  it.  You  should  read  the 
whole  debate  between  him  and  Mr.  Hayne  of  South  Carolina; 
you  will  find  much  to  instruct  and  interest  you,  and  much  of 
what  you  ought  to  know.  Mr.  Webster  never  stood  so  high  in 
this  country  as  at  this  moment ;  and  I  doubt  if  there  be  any  man, 
either  in  Europe  or  America,  his  superior.  The  doctrines  upon 
the  Constitution  in  this  speech  should  be  read  as  a  text-book  by 
all  our  youth." 

After  reading  the  great  speech  of  Mr.  Webster,  Mr. 
Lawrence  addressed  to  that  gentleman  a  letter,  ex 
pressing  his  admiration  of  the  manner  in  which  New 
England  had  been  vindicated,  and  also  his  own  per 
sonal  feelings  of  gratitude  for  the  proud  stand  thus 
taken. 

Mr.  Webster  replied  as  follows  : 

"  WASHINGTON,  March  8,  1830. 

"  DEAR  SIR  :    I  thank  you  very  sincerely  for  your  very  kind 

and  friendly  letter.     The  sacrifices  made  in  being  here,  and  the 

mortifications  sometimes  experienced,  are  amply  compensated  by 

the  consciousness  that  my  friends  at  home  feel  that  I  have  done 

13 


98  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

some  little  service  to  our  New  England.     I  pray  you  to  remem 
ber  me  with  very  true  regard  to  Mrs.  Lawrence,  and  believe  me 
"  Very  faithfully  and  gratefully  yours, 

"  DANIEL  WEBSTER. 
"  To  AMOS  LAWRENCE,  Esq." 

EXTRACTS   OF  LETTERS  TO  HIS   SON. 

"  April  13,  1830. 

"  You  may  feel  very  sure  that  any  study  which  keeps  your 
mind  engaged  will  be  likely  to  strengthen  it ;  and  that,  if  you 
leave  your  mind  inactive,  it  will  run  to  waste.  Your  arm  is 
strengthened  by  wielding  a  broadsword,  or  even  a  foil.  Your 
legs  by  various  gymnastic  exercises,  and  the  organs  of  sight  and 
hearing  by  careful  and  systematic  use,  are  greatly  improved ; 
even  the  finger  is  trained,  by  the  absence  of  sight,  to  perform 
almost  the  service  of  the  eye.  All  this  shows  how  natural  it  is 
for  all  the  powers  to  grow  stronger  by  use.  You  needed  not 
these  examples  to  convince  you;  but  my  desire  to  have  you 
estimate  your  advantages  properly  induces  me  to  write  upon 
them  very  often.  Every  American  youth  owes  his  country  his 
best  talents  and  services,  and  should  devote  them  to  the  countryis 
welfare.  In  doing  that,  you  will  promote  not  only  your  own 
welfare,  but  your  highest  enjoyment. 

"The  duty  of  an  American  citizen,  at  this  period  of  the 
world,  is  that  of  a  responsible  agent ;  and  he  should  endeavor  to 
transmit  to  the  next  age  the  institutions  of  our  country  uninjured 
and  improved.  We  hope,  in  your  next  letter,  to  hear  something 
more  of  General  Lafayette.  The  old  gentleman  is  most  warm  in 
his  affection  for  Americans.  May  he  live  long  to  encourage  and 
bless  by  his  example  the  good  of  all  countries  !  In  contemplat 
ing  a  life  like  his,  who  can  say  that  compensation  even  here  is 
not  fully  made  for  all  the  anguish  and  suffering  he  has  formerly 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  99 

endured  ?  Long  life  does  not  consist  in  many  years ;  but  in  the 
period  being  filled  with  good  services  to  our  fellow-beings.  He 
whose  life  ends  at  thirty  may  have  done  much,  while  he  who  has 
reached  the  age  of  one  hundred  may  have  done  little.  With  the 
Almighty,  a  thousand  years  are  a  moment ;  and  he  will  therefore 
give  no  credit  to  any  talents  not  used  to  his  glory ;  which  use  is 
the  same  thing  as  promoting,  by  all  means  in  our  power,  the 
welfare  and  happiness  of  the  beings  among  whom  we  are  placed." 

"  May  7,  1830. 

u  I  have  been  pretty  steady  at  my  business,  without  working 
hard,  or  having  anxious  feelings  about  it.  It  is  well  to  have  an 
agreeable  pursuit  to  employ  the  mind  and  body.  I  think  that  I 
can  work  for  the  next  six  years  with  as  good  a  relish  as  ever  I 
did ;  but  I  make  labor  a  pleasure.  I  have  just  passed  into  my 
forty-fifth  year,  you  know.  At  my  age,  I  hope  you  will  feel  as 
vigorous  and  youthful  as  I  now  do.  A  temperate  use  of  the 
good  things  of  life,  and  a  freedom  from  anxious  cares,  tend,  as 
much  as  anything,  to  keep  off  old  age." 

"  June  17,  1830. 

"  To-day  completes  fifty-five  years  since  the  glorious  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill,  and  five  years  since  the  nation's  guest  assisted  at 
the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  monument  which  is  to  com 
memorate  to  all  future  times  the  events  which  followed  that 
battle.  If  it  should  please  God  to  remove  me  before  this  struc  - 
ture  is  completed,  I  hope  to  remember  it  in  my  will,  and  that  my 
sons  will  live  to  see  it  finished.  But  what  I  deem  of  more  con 
sequence  is  to  retain  for  posterity  the  battle-field,  now  in  the 
possession  of  the  Bunker  Hill  Monument  Association.  The 
Association  is  in  debt,  and  a  part  of  the  land  may  pass  out  of  its 
possession ;  but  I  hope,  if  it  do,  there  will  be  spirit  enough 


100  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

among  individuals  to  purchase  it  and  restore  it  again ;  for  I  would 
rather  the  whole  work  should  not  be  resumed  for  twenty  years, 
than  resume  it  by  parting  with  the  land.  I  name  this  to  you 
now,  that  you  may  have  a  distinct  intimation  of  my  wishes  to 
keep  the  land  open  for  our  children's  children  to  the  end  of 
time:" 

"  July  17,  1830. 

"  Temptation,  if  successfully  resisted,  strengthens  the  charac 
ter  ;  but  it  should  always  be  avoided.  '  Lead  us  not  into  tempta 
tion  '  are  words  of  deep  meaning,  and  should  always  carry  with 
them  corresponding  desires  of  obedience.  At  a  large  meeting  of 
merchants  and  others  held  ten  days  ago,  it  was  resolved  to  make 
an  effort  to  prevent  the  licensing  of  such  numbers  of  soda-shops, 
retailers  of  spirits,  and  the  like,  which  have,  in  my  opinion,  done 
more  than  anything  else  to  debase  and  ruin  the  youth  of  our 
city.  It  is  a  gross  perversion  of  our  privileges  to  waste  and 
destroy  ourselves  in  this  way.  God  has  given  us  a  good  land  and 
many  blessings.  We  misuse  them,  and  make  them  minister  to 
our  vices.  We  shall  be  called  to  a  strict  account.  Every  good 
citizen  owes  it  to  his  God  and  his  country  to  stop,  as  far  as  he 
can,  this  moral  desolation.  Let  me  see  you,  on  your  return,  an 
advocate  of  good  order  and  good  morals.  * 

"  Our  old  neighbor  the  sea-serpent  was  more  than  usually 
accommodating  the  day  after  we  left  Portsmouth.  He  exhibited 
himself  to  a  great  number  of  people  who  were  at  Hampton  Beach 
last  ^aturday.  They  had  a  full  view  of  his  snakeship  from  the 
shore.  He  was  so  civil  as  to  raise  his  head  about  four  feet,  and 
look  into  a  boat,  where  were  three  men,  who  thought  it  the  wisest 
way  to  retreat  to  their  cabin.  His  length  is  supposed  to  be  about 
one  hundred  feet,  his  head  the  size  of  a  ten-gallon  cask,  and  his 
body,  in  the  largest  part,  about  the  size  of  a  barrel.  I  have 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  101 

never  had  any  more  doubt  respecting  the  existence  of  this  animal, 
since  he  was  seen  here  eleven  years  ago,  than  I  have  had  of  the 
existence  of  Bonaparte.  The  evidence  was  as  strong  to  my  mind 
of  the  one  as  of  the  other.  I  had  never  seen  either  ;  but  I  was 
as  well  satisfied  of  the  existence  of  both,  as  I  should  have  been 
had  I  seen  both.  And  yet  the  idea  of  the  sea-serpent's  existence 
has  been  scouted  and  ridiculed." 

"  September  25. 

"  The  events  of  the  late  French  Revolution  have  reached  us  up 
to  the  17th  August.  The  consideration  of  them  is  animating, 
and  speaks  in  almost  more  than  human  language.  We  are  poor, 
frail,  and  mortal  beings ;  but  there  is  something  elevating  in  the 
thought  of  a  whole  people  acting  as  with  the  mind  and  the  aim  of 
one  man,  a  part  which  allies  man  to  a  higher  order  of  beings.  I 
confess  it  makes  me  feel  a  sort  of  veneration  for  them ;  and  trust 
that  no  extravagance  will  occur  to  mar  the  glory  and  the  dignity 
of  this  enterprise.  Our  beloved  old  hero,  too,  acting  as  the 
guiding  and  presiding  genius  of  this  wonderful  event !  May  God 
prosper  them,  and  make  it  to  the  French  people  what  it  is  capa 
ble  of  being,  if  they  make  a  right  use  of  it !  I  hope  that  you 
have  been  careful  to  see  and  learn  everything,  and  that  you  will 
preserve  the  information  you  obtain  in  such  a  form  as  to  recall 
the  events  to  your  mind  a  long  time  hence.  We  are  all  very  well 
and  very  busy,  and  in  fine  spirits,  here  in  the  old  town  of  Boston. 
Those  who  fell  behind  last  year  have  some  of  them  placed  them 
selves  in  the  rear  rank,  and  are  again  on  duty.  Others  are  laid 
up,  unfit  for  duty ;  and  the  places  of  all  are  supplied  with  fresh 
troops.  We  now  present  as  happy  and  as  busy  a  community  as 
you  would  desire  to  see." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

TESTIMONIAL    TO    MR.    WEBSTER,  —  DANGEROUS    ILLNESS.— 
LETTERS. 

DURING  the  autumn  of  1830,  in  order  to  testify  in  a 
more  marked  manner  his  appreciation  of  Mr.  Webster's 
distinguished  services  in  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States,  Mr.  Lawrence  presented  to  that  gentleman  a 
service  of  silver  plate,  accompanied  by  the  following 
note  : 

»  HON.  DANIEL  WEBSTER.  "  BoSTON>  October  23>  1830' 

"  DEAR  SIR  :  Permit  me  to  request  your  acceptance  of  the 
accompanying  small  service  of  plate,  as  a  testimony  of  my  grati 
tude  for  your  services  to  the  country  in  your  late  efforts  in  the 
Senate  ;  especially  for  your  vindication  of  the  character  of  Massa 
chusetts  and  of  New  England. 

"  From  your  friend  and  fellow-citizen, 

"AMOS  LAWRENCE. 

"P.  S. — If  by  any  emblem  or  inscription  on  any  piece  of 
this  service,  referring  to  the  circumstances  of  which  this  is  a 
memorial,  the  whole  will  be  made  more  acceptable,  I  shall  be  glad 
to  have  you  designate  what  it  shall  be,  and  permit  me  the  oppor 
tunity  of  adding  it." 

102 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  103 

To  which  Mr.  Webster  replied,  on  the  same  evening, 
as  follows  : 

"  SUMMER-STREET,  October  23,  1830. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  cannot  well  express  my  sense  of  your 
kindness,  manifested  in  the  present  of  plate,  which  I  have  received 
this  evening.  I  know  that,  from  you,  this  token  of  respect  is 
sincere ;  and  I  shall  ever  value  it,  and  be  happy  in  leaving  it  to 
my  children,  as  a  most  gratifying  evidence  of  your  friendship. 
The  only  thing  that  can  add  to  its  value  is  your  permission  that  it 
may  be  made  to  bear  an  inscription  expressive  of  the  donation. 

"  I  am,  dear  sir,  with  unfeigned  esteem, 

"  Your  friend  and  obedient  servant, 

"  DANIEL  WEBSTER. 
"Aiios  LAWRENCE,  Esq." 


(TO  HIS  SON.) 

"  BOSTON,  January  16,  1831. 

"  Our  local  affairs  are  very  delightful  in  this  state  and  city. 
We  have  no  violent  political  animosities ;  and  the  prosperity  of 
the  people  is  very  great.  In  our  city,  in  particular,  the  people 
have  not  had  greater  prosperity  for  twenty  years.  There  is  a 
general  industry  and  talent  in  our  population,  that  is  calculated 
to  produce  striking  results  upon  their  character.  In  your  reflec 
tions  upon  your  course,  you  may  settle  it  as  a  principle,  that  no 
man  can  attain  any  valuable  influence  or  character  among  us,  who 
does  not  labor  with  whatever  talents  he  has  to  increase  the  sum  of 
human  improvement  and  happiness.  An  idler,  who  feels  that  he 
has  no  responsibilities,  but  is  contriving  to  get  rid  of  time  without 
being  useful  to  any  one,  whatever  be  his  fortune,  can  find  no  com 
fort  in  staying  here.  We  have  not  enough  such  to  make  up  a 
society.  We  are  literally  all  working-men ;  and  the  attempt  to 


104  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

get  up  a  '  Working-men's  party '  is  a  libel  upon  the  whole  popu 
lation,  as  it  implies  that  there  are  among  us  large  numbers  who 
are  not  working-men.  He  is  a  working-man  whose  mind  is 
employed,  whether  in  making  researches  into  the  meaning  of 
hieroglyphics  or  in  demonstrating  any  invention  in  the  arts,  just 
as  much  as  he  who  cuts  down  the  forests,  or  holds  the  plough,  or 
swings  the  sledge-hammer.  Therefore  let  it  be  the  sentiment  of 
your  heart  to  use  all  the  talents  and  powers  you  may  possess  in 
the  advancement  of  the  moral  and  political  influence  of  New 
England.  New  England,  I  say ;  for  here  is  to  be  the  stronghold 
of  liberty,  and  the  seat  of  influence  to  the  vast  multitude  of  mil 
lions  who  are  to  people  this  republic." 

At  the  period  when  the  preceding  letter  was  writ 
ten,  the  manufacturing  interests  had  become  of  vast 
importance  in  this  community  ;  and  the  house  of 
which  Mr.  Lawrence  was  the  senior  partner  had  iden 
tified  itself  with  many  of  the  great  manufacturing 
corporations  already  created,  or  then  in  progress. 
With  such  pecuniary  interests  at  stake,  and  with  a 
sense  of  responsibility  for  the  success  of  these  enter 
prises,  which  had  been  projected  on  a  scale  and  plan 
hitherto  unknown,  it  may  be  supposed  that  his  mind 
and  energies  were  fully  taxed,  and  that  he  could  be 
fairly  ranked  among  the  working-men  alluded  to. 
While  in  the  full  tide  of  active  life,  and,  as  it  were,  at 
the  crowning  point  of  a  successful  career,  the  hand  of 
Providence  was  laid  upon  him  to  remove  him,  for  the 
rest  of  his  days,  from  this  sphere  of  honor  and  activity 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  105 

to  the  chamber  of  the  invalid,  and  the  comparatively 
tame  and  obscure  walks  of  domestic  life.  Ever  after 
this,  his  life  hung  upon  a  thread  ;  and  its  very  uncer 
tainty,  far  from  causing  him  to  despond  and  rest  from 
future  effort,  seemed  only  to  excite  the  desire  to  work 
while  the  day  lasted.  The  discipline  thus  acquired, 
instead  of  consigning  him  to  the  inglorious  obscurity 
of  a  sick  chamber,  was  the  means  of  his  entering  upon 
that  career  of  active  philanthropy  which  is  now  the 
great  source  of  whatever  distinction  there  may  be 
attached  to  his  memory.  His  business  life  was  ended  ; 
and,  though  he  was  enabled  to  advise  with  others,  and 
give  sometimes  a  direction  to  the  course  of  affairs,  he 
assumed  no  responsibility,  and  had  virtually  retired 
from  the  field. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  1831,  the  weather  being  very 
warm,  Mr.  Lawrence,  while  engaged  in  the  business 
of  his  counting-room,  drank  moderately  of  cold  water, 
and,  soon  after,  was  seized  with  a  violent  and  alarming 
illness.  The  functions  of  the  stomach  seemed  to  have 
been  destroyed  ;  and,  for  many  days,  there  remained 
but  small  hope  of  his  recovery.  Much  sympathy  was 
expressed  by  his  friends  and  the  public,  and  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  afford  gratification  to  his  family,  as  well 
as  surprise  to  himself  when  sufficiently  recovered  to  be 
informed  of  it.  He  had  not  yet  learned  the  place 
which  he  had  earned,  in  the  estimation  of  those  around 
him,  as  a  merchant  and  a  citizen  ;  and  it  was,  not 

14 


106  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

improbably,  a  stimulus  to  merit,  by  his  future  course,  the 
high  encomiums  which  were  then  lavished  upon  him. 

Mr.  Lawrence  announced  his  sickness  to  his  son, 
then  in  Spain,  in  the  following  letter,  dated 

"  BOSTON,  June  27,  1831. 

"  I  desire  to  bless  God  for  being  again  permitted  to  address  you 
in  this  way.  On  the  1st  day  of  this  month,  I  was  seized  with  a 
violent  illness,  which  caused  both  myself  and  my  friends  almost 
to  despair  of  my  life.  But,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  the  remedies 
proved  efficacious  ;  and  I  am  still  in  the  land  of  the  living,  with 
a  comfortable  prospect  of  acquiring  my  usual  health,  although, 
thus  far,  not  allowed  to  leave  my  chamber.  In  that  dread  hour 
when  I  thought  that  the  next  perhaps  would  be  my  last  on  earth, 
—  my  thoughts  resting  upon  my  God  and  Saviour,  then  upon  the 
past  scenes  of  my  life,  then  upon  my  dear  children,  —  the  belief 
that  their  minds  are  well  directed,  and  that  they  will  prove 
blessings  to  society,  and  fulfil,  in  some  good  degree,  the  design 
of  Providence  in  placing  them  here,  was  a  balm  to  my  spirits 
that  proved  more  favorable  to  my  recovery  than  any  of  the  other 
remedies.  May  you  never  forget  that  every  man  is  individually 
responsible  for  his  actions,  and  must  be  held  accountable  for  his 
opportunities  !  Thus  he  who  has  ten  talents  will  receive  a  pro 
portionate  reward,  if  he  makes  a  right  use  of  them  ;  and  he  who 
receives  one  will  be  punished,  if  he  hides  it  in  a  napkin." 

"  June  29,  1831. 

"  MY  DEAR  AND  EVER-HONORED  MOTHER  :  Through  the 
divine  goodness,  I  am  once  more  enabled  to  address  you  by 
letter,  after  having  passed  through  a  sickness  alarming  to  my 
friends,  although  to  myself  a  comparatively  quiet  one.  I  cannot 
in  words  express  my  grateful  sense  of  God's  goodness  in  thus 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  107 

carrying  me,  as  it  were,  in  his  hand,  and  lighting  the  way  by  the 
brightness  of  his  countenance.  During  that  period  in  which  I 
considered  my  recovery  as  hardly  probable,  my  mind  was  calm : 
and.  while  in  review  of  the  past  I  found  many  things  to  lament, 
and  in  contemplation  of  the  future  much  to  fear,  but  more  to 
hope,  I  could  find  no  other  words^  in  which  to  express  my 
thoughts  than  the  words  of  the  publican,  '  God  be  merciful  to  me 
a  sinner  ! J  All  the  small  distinctions  of  sects  and  forms  dwindled 
into  air,  thin  air,  and  seemed  to  me  even  more  worthless  than 
ever.  The  cares  and  anxieties  of  the  world  did  not  disturb  me, 
believing  it  to  be  of  small  moment  whether  I  should  be  taken 
now  or  spared  a  few  years  longer.  With  returning  health  and 
strength,  different  prospects  open,  and  different  feelings  take  the 
place  of  those  which  were  then  so  appropriate ;  and  the  social 
feelings  and  sympathies  have  their  full  share  in  their  hold  upon 
me.  *  *  *  * 

"  From  your  ever-loving  and  dutiful  son,  A.  L." 

(TO  HIS  SON.) 

"July  14. 

"  I  have  been  constantly  gaining  since  my  last  to  you,  and 
with  constant  care,  hope  to  acquire  my  usual  health.  I  am, 
however,  admonished,  by  the  two  attacks  I  have  experienced 
within  a  month,  that  the  continuance  of  my  life  for  any  consider 
able  period  will  be  very  likely  to  depend  upon  a  rigid  prudence  in 
my  labor  and  living.  The  recovery  from  this  last  sickness  is 
almost  like  being  restored  to  life :  and  I  hope  the  span  that  may 
be  allowed  me  may  be  employed  in  better  service  than  any  period 
of  my  past  life.  We  are  placed  here  to  be  disciplined  for  another 
and  higher  state ;  and  whatever  happens  to  us  makes  a  part  of 
this  discipline.  In  this  view,  we  ought  never  to  murmur,  but  to 


108  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

consider,  when  ills  befall  us,  how  we  can  make  them  subserve  our 
highest  good.  What  I  am  more  desirous  than  anything  else  for 
you  is,  that  you  may  feel  that  you  are  accountable  for  all  your 
talents,  and  that  you  may  so  use  them  as  to  have  an  approving 
conscience,  and  the  final  recompense  of  a  faithful  servant  at  last. 
The  period  of  trial  is  shgrt;  but  the  consequences  are  never- 
ending.  How  important  to  each  individual,  then, —  to  you  and 
to  me, —  that  we  use  aright  the  period  assigned  us  !  " 


CHAPTER  XV. 


JOURNEY  TO  NEW  HAMPSHIRE.  —  LETTERS.  —  RESIGNS  OFFICE  OF 
TRUSTEE  AT  HOSPITAL.  —  LETTERS. 

4 

A  FEW  days  after  the  date  of  the  preceding  letter,  a 
change  was  thought  desirable  for  the  improvement  of 
Mr.  Lawrence's  health ;  and  he  accordingly,  with 
Mrs.  L.,  went  to  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  and 
remained  a  week  with  his  friend  and  brother-in-law, 
the  late  Hon.  Jeremiah  Mason.  From  thence  he  pro 
ceeded  to  visit  friends  in  Amherst,  New  Hampshire, 
where  he  was  attacked  by  a  severe  rheumatic  fever, 
which  confined  him  for  several  weeks  ;  and  it  was  with 
great  difficulty  that  he  succeeded  in  reaching  home 
about  the  20th  of  September,  after  an  absence  of  nearly 
two  months.  On  the  27th  of  September,  he  writes  to 
his  son  : 

"It  is  only  within  a  few  days  that  I  have  been  able  to  be 
removed  to  my  own  house.  I  am  now  able  to  walk  my  chamber, 
and  sit  up  half  the  day ;  and,  by  the  best  care  in  the  world,  I 
have  a  fair  hope  of  again  enjoying  so  much  health  as  to  feel  that 
I  may  yet  be  of  some  use  in  the  world.  My  bodily  sufferings 
have  been  great  during  this  last  sickness ;  but  my  mind  in 

109 


110  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

general  has  been  quiet.  I  seem  to  want  nothing  which  this 
world  can  give  to  make  me  an  enviably  happy  man,  but  your 
presence  and  a  return  of  my  health ;  but  these  last  are  wisely 
withheld.  We  are  apt,  in  the  abundance  of  the  gift,  to  lose  the 
recollection  whence  it  came,  and  feel  that  by  our  own  power  we 
can  go  forward.  Happy  for  us  that  we  are  thus  made  to  feel  that 
all  we  have  is  from  God ;  this  recurrence  to  the  Source  of  all  our 
blessings  makes  us  better  men.  I  do  not  expect  to  be  able  to 
leave  the  house,  before  the  next  spring ;  and,  in  the  mean  time, 
must  be  subject  to  the  casualties  incident  to  a  person  in  my 
situation." 

On  October  29,  Mr.  Lawrence,  in  a  letter  to  the 
same  son,  expresses  his  gratitude  for  the  enjoyment 
of  life,  "even  in  a  sick  chamber,  as  mine  must  be 
termed. " 

"  I  receive  my  friends  here,  and  once  only  have  walked  abroad 
for  a  few  minutes.  I  drive  in  a  carriage  every  pleasant  day,  and 
I  can  truly  say  that  my  days  pass  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  more 
than  the  average  of  comfort.  My  mind  is  as  easy  as  it  ever  is, 
and  as  active  as  is  safe  for  the  body.  I  employed  myself  yester 
day  in  looking  over  your  letters  since  you  left  home  three  years 
ago,  and  was  reminded  by  them  that  the  fourth  year  of  your 
absence  has  just  commenced.  Although  a  brief  space  since  it  is 
passed,  an  equal  time,  if  we  look  forward,  appears  to  be  far 
distant.  The  question  you  will  naturally  ask  yourself  is,  How  has 
the  time  been  spent  ?  and  from  the  answer  you  may  gather  much 
instruction  for  the  future.  If  you  have  made  the  best  use  of  this 
period,  happy  is  it  for  you,  as  the  habit  of  the  useful  application 
of  your  time  will  make  its  continuance  more  natural  and  easy. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  Ill 

If  you  have  misused  and  abused  your  opportunities,  there  is  not  a 
moment  to  be  lost  in  retracing  your  steps,  and  making  good,  by 
future  effort,  what  has  been  lost  by  want  of  it.  In  short,  we  can 
none  of  us  know  that  a  future  will  be  allowed  us  to  amend  and 
to  correct  our  previous  misdoings  and  omissions ;  and  it  is  not  less 
the  part  of  wisdom  than  of  duty  to  be  always  up  and  doing,  that 
whenever  our  Master  comes  we  may  be  ready.  I  never  was 
made  so  sensible  before  of  the  power  of  the  mind  over  the  body. 
It  is  a  matter 'of  surprise  to  some  of  my  friends,  who  have  known 
my  constant  habits  of  business  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  that  I 
can  find  so  much  comfort  and  quiet  in  the  confinement  of  my 
house,  when  I  feel  so  well,  and  there  are  so  many  calls  for  my 
labors  abroad.  I  hope  to  pursue  such  a  discreet  course  as  shall 
allow  me  to  come  forth  in  the  spring  with  my  poor  frame  so  far 
renovated  and  restored  as  to  enable  me  to  take  my  place  among 
the  active  laborers  of  the  day,  and  do  what  little  I  may  for  the 
advancement  and  well-being  of  my  generation.  If,  however,  I 
should,  by  any  accident  or  exposure,  be  again  brought  to  a  bed  of 
pain  and  suffering,  may  God  grant  me  a  patient  and  submissive 
temper  to  bear  whatever  may  be  put  upon  me,  with  a  full  con 
viction  that  such  chastisements  will  tend  to  my  good,  if  I  make  a 
right  use  of  them  !  " 

The  first  of  January,  1832,  found  Mr.  Lawrence 
confined  to  his  sick  room,  and  unable,  from  bodily 
weakness,  to  drive  out  in  the  open  air,  as  he  had 
hitherto  done.  He  writes  to  his  son  : 

"  I  am  reminded,  by  the  new  year,  that  another  portion  of 
time  has  passed,  by  which  we  are  accustomed  to  measure  in 
prospect  the  space  that  is  allotted  us  here  ;  and  the  reflections  at 


112  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

the  close  of  the  old  and  the  commencement  of  the  new  year  are 
calculated,  if  we  do  not  cheat  ourselves,  to  make  us  better  than 
we  otherwise  should  be.  I  am  enjoying  myself  highly  under  the 
close  confinement  of  two  parlor  chambers,  from  which  I  have  only 
travelled  into  the  entry  since  November.  I  have  lived  pretty 
much  as  other  prisoners  of  a  different  character  live,  as  regards 
food ;  namely,  on  bread  and  water,  or  bread  and  coffee  or  cocoa. 
I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  man  who  lives  on  bread 
and  water,  if  he  have  enough,  is  the  genuine  epicure,  according  to 
the  original  and  true  meaning.  I  am  favored  with  the  visits  of 
more  pretty  and  interesting  ladies  than  any  layman  in  the  city,  I 
believe.  My  rooms  are  quite  a  resort ;  and,  old  fellow  as  I  am, 
I  have  the  vanity  to  suppose  I  render  myself  quite  agreeable  to 
them." 

On  the  same  day,  in  a  letter  of  sympathy  to  his 
sister-in-law,  whose  invalid  son  was  about  to  leave  for 
a  long  voyage,  he  writes  : 

"  While  my  family  are  all  absent  at  church,  I  am  sitting  alone, 
my  mind  going  back  to  the  beginning  of  the  year  just  ended 
and  forward  through  that  just  commenced ;  and,  in  view  of 
both  periods,  I  can  see  nothing  but  the  unbounded  goodness 
of  our  heavenly  Father  and  best  friend,  in  all  that  has  been 
taken  from  me,  as  well  as  in  all  that  is  left  to  me.  I  can 
say,  with  sincerity,  that  I  never  have  had  so  much  to  call  forth 
my  warmest  and  deepest  gratitude  for  favors  bestowed  as  at  the 
present  time.  Among  my  sources  of  happiness  is  a  settled  con 
viction  that,  in  chastening  his  children,  God  desires  their  good ; 
and  if  his  chastisements  are  thus  viewed,  we  cannot  receive  them 
in  any  other  light  than  as  manifestations  of  his  fatherly  care  and 
kindness.  Although,  at  times,  '  clouds  and  darkness  are  round 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  113 

about  him,'  we  do  certainly  know,  by  the  words  of  inspiration, 
'  that  justice  and  judgment  are  the  habitation  of  his  throne,'  and 
goodness  and  mercy  the  attributes  of  his  character;  and  if  it 
should  please  him  further  to  try  me  with  disease  during  the  period 
of  my  probation,  my  prayer  to  him  is  that  my  mind  and  heart 
may  remain  stayed  on  him,  and  that  I  may  practically  illustrate 
those  words  of ' our  blessed  Saviour,  'Not  my  will,  but  thine  be 
done.'  It  is  quite  possible  that  there  may  still  be  a  few  years  of 
probation  for  me ;  but  it  is  more  probable  that  I  may  not  remain 
here  to  the  close  of  the  present ;  but  whether  I  remain  longer 
or  shorter  is  of  little  consequence,  compared  with  the  preparation 
or  the  dress  in  which  I  may  be  found  when  called  away.  It  has 
seemed  to  me  that  the  habit  of  mind  we  cultivate  here  will  be  that 
which  will  abide  with  us  hereafter ;  and  that  heaven  is  as  truly 
begun  here  as  that  the  affections  which  make  us  love  our  friends 
grow  stronger  by  use,  and  improve  by  cultivation.  We  are  here  in 
our  infancy ;  the  feelings  cherished  at  this  period  grow  with  our 
growth,  and,  in  the  progress  of  time,  will  fit  us  for  the  highest 
enjoyments  of  the  most  distant  future.  I  say,  then,  what  sources 
of  happiness  are  open  to  us,  not  only  for  the  present,  but  for  all 
future  time !  These  hasty  remarks  are  elicited  on  occasion  of  the 
separation  so  soon  to  take  place  from  your  son.  I  know  full  well 
the  anxieties  of  a  parent  on  such  an  occasion. 

"  His  health  cannot,  of  course,  be  certainly  predicted  ;  but  you 
will  have  the  comfort  of  knowing  that  you  have  done  everything 
that  the  fondest  parents  could  do  in  this  particular,  whatever  effect 
the  absence  may  have  upon  him. 

-  should  feel  that  his  obligations  are  increased,  with  his 

means    and   opportunities   for   improvement.       If  by   travel   he 

acquire  a  better  education,  and  can  make  himself  more  useful  on 

his  return,  he  can  no  more  divest  himself  of  his  increased  duties, 

15 


114  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

than  he  can  divest  himself  of  his  duty  to  be  honest.  The  account 
is  to  be  rendered  for  the  use  of  the  talents,  whether  they  be  ten, 
or  five,  or  one.  If  I  have  opportunity,  I  shall  write  a  few  lines 
to  -  -  before  he  leaves.  If  I  should  not,  I  desire  him  to  feel 
that  I  have  great  affection  for  him,  and  deep  interest  in  his 
progress,  and  an  ardent  hope  that  his  health,  improvement,  and 
knowledge,  may  be  commensurate  with  the  rare  advantages  he  will 
enjoy  for  the  acquisition  of  all. 

"I  know  the  tender  feelings  of  your  husband  on  all  things 
touching  his  family  or  friends ;  and  perhaps  I  may  find  opportu 
nity  to  speak  a  word  of  comfort  to  him.  But  I  know  not  what 
more  to  say  than  to  reiterate  the  sentiment  here  expressed. 
Nature  will  have  its  way  for  a  time,  but  I  hope  reason  will  be 
sufficient  to  make  that  time  very  short.  Whatever  time  it  may  be, 
of  this  I  feel  confident,  that,  after  the  feelings  have  once  sub 
sided,  -  -  will  have  all  the  sunshine  and  joy  which  the  event  is 
calculated  to  produce.  He  cannot  know  until  he  has  realized  the 
pleasure  of  hearing  the  absent  ones  speak,  as  it  were,  in  his  ear, 
from  a  distance  of  three  thousand  miles. 

"May  the  best  blessings  of  the  Almighty  rest  on  you  and 
yours !  From  your  ever  affectionate  A.  L." 

(TO  HIS  SON.) 

"  Sunday  morning,  Feb.  5,  1832. 

"  I  have  seated  myself  at  my  writing-desk,  notwithstanding  it 
is  holy  time,  in  the  hope  and  belief  that  I  am  in  the  way  of  duty. 
This  consecration  of  one  day  in  seven  to  the  duties  of  religion,— 
comprising,  as  these  do,  every  duty, —  and  if  they  be  well  per 
formed,  to  self-examination,  is  a  glorious  renovation  of  the  world. 
Who  that  has  witnessed  the  effects  of  this  rest  upon  the  moral 
and  physical  condition  of  a  people,  can  doubt  the  wisdom  of  the 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  115 

appointment  ?  Wherever  we  turn  our  eyes  or  our  thoughts,  if  we 
only  will  be  as  honest  and  candid,  in  our  estimate  of  the  value  of 
the  provision  made  for  us,  as  we  ordinarily  are  in  our  estimate  of 
the  character  and  conduct  of  our  fellow-men,  we  must  be  struck 
with  admiration  and  gratitude  to  that  merciful  Father  who  has 
seen  our  wants,  and  provided  for  our  comfort  to  an  extent  to  which 
the  care  and  provision  of  the  best  earthly  parents  for  their  children 
hardly  gives  the  name  of  resemblance." 

In  speaking  of  some  application  for  aid  which  he 
had  received  from  a  charitable  institution,  he  writes  to 
his  son  : 

"  Our  people  are  liberally  disposed,  and  contribute  to  most 
objects  which  present  a  fair  claim  to  their  aid.  I  think  you  will 
find  great  advantage  in  doing  this  part  of  your  duty  upon  a 
system  which  you  can  adopt;  thus,  for  instance,  divide  your 
expenses  into  ten  parts,  nine  of  which  may  be  termed  for  what  is 
considered  necessary,  making  a  liberal  calculation  for  such  as  your 
situation  would  render  proper,  and  one  part  applied  for  the  pro 
motion  of  objects  not  directly  or  legally  claiming  your  support, 
but  such  as  every  good  citizen  would  desire  to  have  succeed. 
This,  I  think,  you  will  find  the  most  agreeable  part  of  your 
expense;  and,  if  you  should  be  favored  with  an  abundance  of 
means  later  in  life,  you  may  enlarge  your  appropriations  of  this 
sort,  so  as  to  be  equal  to  one  tenth  of  your  income.  Neither 
yourself  nor  those  who  depend  upon  you  will  ever  feel  the  poorer. 
I  assume  that  you  have  plenty,  in  thus  fixing  the  proportion.  I 
believe  the  rule  might  be  profitably  adopted  by  many  who  have 
small  means;  for  they  would  save  more  by  method  than  they 
would  be  required  to  pay. 


116  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

"  To-morrow  completes  a  hundred  years  since  the  birth  of 
Washington.  The  day  will  be  celebrated,  from  one  end  of  the 
country  to  the  other,  with  suitable  demonstrations  of  respect,  by 
processions,  orations,  and  religious  ceremonies,  according  to  the 
feelings  of  the  people  who  join  in  it.  I  think  the  spectacle  will 
be  a  grand  one,  of  a  whole  people  brought  together  to  commem 
orate  the  birth  of  one  of  their  fellow-mortals,  who  by  his  virtues 
and  his  talents  has  made  his  memory  immortal,  and  whose  pre 
cepts  and  example  are  calculated  to  secure  happiness  to  the 
countless  millions  of  his  fellow-beings  who  are  to  people  this 
vast  empire  through  all  future  time.  It  is  permitted  to  few  to 
have  open  to  them  such  a  field  as  Washington  had ;  but  no  one 
since  the  Christian  era  has  filled  his  sphere  so  gloriously.  We 
are  jogging  along,  in  political,  theological  and  commercial  affairs, 
very  much  as  usual." 

During  the  month  of  January,  Mr.  Lawrence,  on 
account  of  ill  health,  resigned  his  seat  in  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  the  Massachusetts  General  Hospital,  in 
which  he  had  served  for  several  years.  This  duty 
had  always  been  one  of  unmingled  pleasure  to  him; 
and,  by  means  of  his  visits  there,  and  at  the  McLean 
Asylum  for  the  Insane,  under  the  management  of  the 
same  board,  he  became  conversant  with  a  class  of 
sufferers  who  had  excited  a  great  interest  in  his  mind, 
and  whom  he  often  visited  during  the  remainder  of  his 
life,  to  cheer  them  in  their  sadness,  and  to  convey  to 
them  such  little  tokens  of  kindness  as  assured  them  of 
his  interest  and  sympathy. 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE  117 

In  a  letter  to  his  second  son,  at  Andover,  he  writes, 
April  21  : 

"  You  will  be  glad  to  hear  I  have  got  along  very  well  through 
the  wet,  cold  weather  of  the  week,  and  am  looking  forward  with 
cheerful  hope  to  the  sunny  days  to  come.  If  it  were  not  for  my 
faculty  of  turning  present  disappointments  to  future  pleasures  in 
prospect,  I  should  run  down  in  spirits.  I  have  always  indulged 
myself  in  castle-building ;  but  have  generally  taken  care  so  to 
build  as  to  be  in  no  danger  of  their  falling  on  my  head,  so  that 
when  I  have  gone  as  far  with  one  as  is  safe,  if  it  does  not  promise 
well,  I  transfer  my  labor  to  another,  and  thus  am  always  supplied 
with  objects.  The  last  one  finished  was  commenced  last  May, 
and  it  is  one  I  delight  to  think  of.  It  was  then  I  determined  to 
get  your  Uncle  Mason  *  here.  N.  thought  it  a  castle  without 
foundation,  but  the  result  shows  otherwise. 

"  I  send  some  of  W.'s  late  letters,  by  which  you  perceive  he  is 
not  idle ;  the  thought  of  the  dear  fellow  makes  the  tears  start. 
God  in  mercy  grant  him  a  safe  return,  fully  impressed  with  his 
obligations  as  a  man  and  a  Christian  !  That  I  am  now  living  in 
the  enjoyment  of  so  much  health,  surrounded  by  so  many  bless 
ings,  is  overpowering  to  my  feelings.  What  shall  I  render  unto 
God  for  all  these  benefits  ?  I  feel  my  unworthiness,  and  devoutly 
pray  him  that  I  may  never  lose  sight  of  the  great  end  of  my 
being  ;  and  that,  whenever  it  shall  please  him  to  call  me  hence,  I 
may  be  found  in  the  company  of  the  redeemed  through  the  merits 
and  mediation  of  the  Son  of  his  love.  If  there  is  any  one  thing 
I  would  impress  on  your  mind  more  strongly  than  another,  it  is 
to  give  good  heed  to  the  religious  impressions  with  which  you 

*  Hon.  Jeremiah  Mason,  of  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  who  passed 
the  rest  of  his  life  in  Boston. 


118  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

may  be  imbued ;  and,  at  a  future  day,  these  may  prove  a  founda 
tion  th,it  will  support  you  when  all  other  supports  would  fail. 
The  youthful  imagination  frequently  magnifies  objects  at  a  dis 
tance  ;  experience  is  an  able  teacher,  and  detects,  too  late, 
perhaps,  the  fraud  upon  youth.  Be  wise  in  time,  and  avoid  this 
fraud." 

A  few  days  later,  he  writes  to  the  same  son,  onr  the 
subject  of  systematic  charity  :  ^ 

"  It  is  one  of  my  privileges,  not  less  than  one  of  my  dutigs,  to 
be  able  thus  to  administer  to  the  comfort  of  a  circle  of  ver/dear 
friends.  I  hope  you  will  one  day  have  the  delightful  conscious 
ness  of  using  a  portion  of  your  means  in  a  way  to  give  you  as 
much  pleasure  as  I  now  experience.  Your  wants  may  be  brought 
within  a  very  moderate  compass ;  and  I  hope  you  will  never  feel 
yourself  at  liberty  to  waste  on  yourself  such  means,  as,  by  sys 
tem  and  right  principles,  may  be  beneficially  applied  to  the  good 
of  those  around  you.  Providence  has  given  us  unerring  princi 
ples  to  guide  us  in  our  duties  of  this  sort.  Our  first  duty  is  to 
those  of  our  own  household,  then  extending  to  kindred,  friends, 
neighbors  (and  the  term  *  neighbor '  may,  in  its  broadest  sense, 
take  in  the  whole  human  family),  citizens  of  our  state,  then  of 
our  country,  then  of  the  other  countries  of  the  world." 

In  another  letter,  written  soon  after  the  preceding, 
he  speaks  of  certain  principles  of  business  which  gov 
erned  him  in  early  life,  and  adds  : 

"  The  secret  of  the  whole  matter  was,  that  we  had  formed  the 
habit  of  promptly  acting,  thus  taking  the  top  of  the  tide  ;  while 
the  habit  of  some  others  was  to  delay  until  about  half-tide,  thus 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  119 

getting  on  the  flats;  while  we  were  all  the  time  prepared  for 
fiction,  and  ready  to  put  into  any  port  that  promised  well.  I 
wish,  by  all  these  remarks,  to  impress  upon  you  the  necessity  of 
qualifying  yourself  to  support  yourself.  The  best  education  that 
I  can  secure  shall  be  yours,  and  such  facilities  for  usefulness  as 
may  be  in  my  power  shall  be  rendered ;  but  no  food  to  pamper 
idleness  or  wickedness  will  I  ever  supply  willingly  to  any  con 
nection,  however  near.  I  trust  I  have  none  who  will  ever  misuse 
so  basely  anything  that  may  come  to  them  as  a  blessing.  This 
letter,  you  may  think,  has  an  undue  proportion  of  advice.  '  Line 
upon^line,  precept  upon  precept,'  is  recommended  by  one  wiser 
I  am." 

(TO   HIS    DAUGHTER.) 

"  Sunday  morn. 

"MY  DEAR  DAUGHTER:  In  the  quiet  of  this  morning,  my 
mind  naturally  rests  on  those  objects  nearest  and  dearest  to  me ; 
and  you,  my  child,  are  among  the  first. 

"  The  family  are  all  at  church,  but  the  weather  is  not  such  as 
to  permit  my  going ;  and  the  season  by  them  employed  in  the 
service  of  the  sanctuary  will  by  me  be  employed  in  communi 
cating  with  you. 

11  You  have  now  arrived  at  an  age  when  the  mind  and  heart  are 
most  susceptible  of  impressions  for  weal  or  woe ;  and  the  direction 
which  may  be  given  to  them  is  what  no  parent  can  view  with 
indifference,  or  pass  over  without  incurring  the  guilt  of  being 
unfaithful  in  his  duties.  My  earnest  desire  for  you  is,  that  you 
may  fully  appreciate  your  opportunities  and  responsibilities,  and 
so  use  them  that  you  may  acquire  a  reasonable  hope  that  you  may 
secure  the  object  for  which  we  are  placed  here.  The  probation  is 
short,  but  long  enough  to  do  all  that  is  required  of  us,  if  faith 
fully  used ;  the  consequences  are  never-ending. 


120  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

"  These  simple  views  are  such  as  any  child  of  your  age  can 
comprehend,  and  should  be  made  as  familiar  to  your  mind  as  the 
every-day  duties  of  life.  If  the  mind,  from  early  days,  be  thus 
accustomed  to  look  upon  life  as  a  school  of  preparation  for  higher 
services,  then  the  changes  and  adversities  to  which  we  are  all 
liable  can  only  be  viewed  as  necessary  discipline  to  fit  us  for  those 
higher  services,  and  as  such  be  considered  as  applied  for  our  good, 
however  painful  they  may  seem  at  first.  There  is  no  truth  better 
settled  than  this  :  that  all  the  discipline  of  our  heavenly  Parent, 
if  rightly  used,  will  eventuate  in  our  good.  How,  then,  can  we 
murmur  and  repine  at  his  dealings  with  us  ?  This  conduct  only 
shows  our  weakness  and  folly,  and  illustrates  the  better  care  of 
us  than  we  should  take  of  ourselves. 

il  We  are  in  the  condition  of  the  sick  man,  who  sometimes 
craves  that  which,  if  given  him  by  his  friend,  would  cause  his 
certain  death ;  but  he  is  not  aware  at  the  time  that  it  is  withheld 
for  his  good.  The  importance,  then,  of  cultivating  a  right 
understanding  of  the  things  of  which  our  duties  and  our  happi 
ness  are  composed,  is  second  to  no  object  which  can  employ  the 
mind ;  for,  with  this  knowledge,  we  must  suppose  that  no  one 
can  be  so  lost  to  his  own  interest  as  not  to  feel  that  in  the  per 
formance  of  these  duties  is  to  result  the  possession  of  those  riches 
which  are  promised  to  the  faithful  by  our  Father  in  heaven, 
through  the  Son  of  his  love.  In  the  preparation  which  awaits 
you,  do  not  stop  at  the  things  which  are  seen,  but  look  to  those 
which  are  unseen.  These  views,  perhaps,  may  be  profitably 
pondered  long  after  I  have  been  gathered  to  my  fathers. 

"The  tenure  of  my  life  seems  very  frail;  still  it  may  continue 
longer  than  the  lives  of  my  children ;  but,  whenever  it  shall 
please  God  to  call  me  hence,  I  hope  to  feel  resigned  to  his  will, 
and  to  leave  behind  me  such  an  influence  as  shall  help  forward 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  121 

che  timid  and  faint-hearted  in  the  path  of  duty  ;  and  particularly 
on  you,  my  child,  do  I  urge  these  views.  They  debar  you  from 
no  real  or  reasonable  pleasure ;  they  speak  to  you,  in  strong  lan 
guage,  to  enjoy  all  those  blessings  which  a  bountiful  Parent  has 
scattered  in  your  path  with  unsparing  plenty,  and  admonish  you 
that  to  enjoy  is  not  to  abuse  them ;  when  abused,  they  cease  to  be 

enjoyed." 

16 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

DAILY   EXERCISE.  —  REGIMEN.  —  IMPROVING  HEALTH.  —  LETTERS. 

DURING  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1832,  Mr 
Lawrence's  health  and  strength  were  so  much  im 
proved,  that  he  was  enabled  to  take  exercise  on  horse 
back  ;  and  almost  daily  he  took  long  rides,  sometimes 
alone,  sometimes  with  a  friend,  about  the  environs  of 
the  city.  This  habit  he  was  enabled  to  continue,  with 
some  intermissions,  for  two  or  three  years,  through 
summer  and  winter.  The  effect  of  the  exercise  amidst 
the  beautiful  scenery  of  the  environs  of  Boston,  of 
which  he  was  an  enthusiastic  admirer,  was  most  bene 
ficial  to  his  health,  and,  it  is  believed,  was  a  great 
means  of  prolonging  his  life.  Whenever  he  could  do 
so,  he  secured  the  company  of  a  friend,  and  kept  a 
horse  expressly  for  the  purpose.  As  the  ride  was 
taken  in  the  morning,  when  his  business  acquaintances 
were  occupied,  his  most  usual  companion  was  some  one 
of  the  city  clergy,  whom  he  secured  for  the  occasion, 
or  one  of  his  sons.  No  denominational  distinctions 
seemed  to  regulate  his  choice  on  these  occasions.  His 
own  beloved  pastor  and  friend,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Lothrop, 

122 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  123 

Rev.  Drs.  Stone  and  Greenwood,  and  Father  Taylor, 
the  seamen's  chaplain,  were  often  his  companions. 
Occasionally  a  stray  merchant  or  lawyer  was  engaged  ; 
and,  as  was  sometimes  the  case  where  they  had  not 
been  much  accustomed  to  the  exercise,  a  long  trot  of 
many  miles  in  the  sun,  or  in  the  face  of  a  keen  winter 
north-wester,  would  severely  tax  their  own  strength, 
while  they  wondered  how  so  frail  a  figure  as  that 
of  Mr.  Lawrence  could  possess  so  much  endurance. 
With  all  this  apparent  energy  and  strength,  he  was 
extremely  liable  to  illness,  which  would  come  when 
least  expected,  and  confine  him  for  days  to  his  house. 
An  item  of  bad  news,  some  annoying  incident,  a  little 
anxiety,  or  a  slight  cold,  would,  as  it  were,  paralyze 
his  digestive  functions,  and  reduce  his  strength  to  the 
lowest  point.  It  was  this  extreme  sensitiveness  which 
unfitted  him  to  engage  in  the  general  current  of 
business,  and  which  compelled  him  to  keep  aloof  from 
participation  in  commercial  affairs,  and  to  adopt  that 
peculiar  system  in  diet  and  living  which  he  adhered  to 
for  the  remainder  of  his  life.  This  system  limited  him 
to  the  use  of  certain  kinds  of  food,  which,  from  time 
to  time,  was  slightly  modified,  as  was  thought  expe 
dient.  This  food  was  of  the  most  simple  kind,  and 
was  taken  in  small  quantities,  after  being  weighed  in 
a  balance,  which  always  stood  before  him  upon  his 
writing-table.  To  secure  perfect  quiet  during  his 
meals,  and  also  that  he  might  not  be  tempted  to  over- 


124  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

step  the  bounds  of  prudence,  a  certain  amount  was 
sent  to  him  in  his  chamber,  from  which  he  took  what 
was  allowed.  The  amount  of  liquid  was  also  weighed ; 
and  so  rigid  was  he  in  this  system  of  diet,  that,  for  the 
last  sixteen  years  of  his  life,  he  sat  down  at  no  meal 
with  his  family.  The  amount  of  food  taken  varied,  of 
course,  with  his  strength  and  condition.  In  a  letter  to 
his  friend,  President  Hopkins,  of  Williams  College,  he 
says  : 

"If  your  young  folks  want  to  know  the  meaning  of  epicurean 
ism,  tell  them  to  take  some  bits  of  coarse  bread  (one  ounce  and  a 
little  more),  soak  them  in  three  gills  of  coarse-meal  gruel,  and 
make  their  dinner  of  them  and  nothing  else ;  beginning  very 
hungry,  and  leaving  off  more  hungry.  The  food  is  delicious,  and 
such  as  no  modern  epicureanism  can  equal." 

For  a  considerable  period,  he  kept  a  regular  diet- 
table,  in  which  he  noted  down  the  quantity  of  solid  and 
liquid  food  taken  during  the  twenty-four  hours.  One 
of  his  memorandum-books,  labelled  "  Kecord  of  Diet 
and  Discipline  for  1839  and  1840,"  contains  accurate 
records  of  this  sort. 

In  October,  1832,  in  writing  to  his  son  in  the  coun 
try,  he  alludes  to  this  improvement  in  his  health  and 
strength  : 

"  We  are  all  doing  as  well  as  usual  here,  myself  among  them 
doing  better  than  usual.  My  little  £  Doctor  '  *  does  wonders  for 

*  The  name  of  his  horse. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  125 

me.     I  ride  so  much,  and  so  advantageously,  that  I  do  not  know 

but  I  shall  be  bold  enough,  by  and  by,  to  ride  to  B and  back 

in  a  day,  but  shall  hardly  dare  do  so  until  I  have  practised  a 
little  more  in  this  neighborhood. 

11 1  want  you  to  analyze  more  closely  the  tendency  of  princi 
ples,  associations,  and  conduct,  and  strive  to  adopt  such  as  will 
make  it  easier  for  you  to  go  right  than  go  wrong.  The  moral 
taste,  like  the  natural,  is  vitiated  by  abuse.  Gluttony,  tobacco, 
and  intoxicating  drink,  are  not  less  dangerous  to  the  latter,  than 
loose  principles,  bad  associations,  and  profligate  conduct,  are  to  the 
former.  Look  well  to  all  these  things." 

The  year  1833  opened  with  bright  and  cheering  pros 
pects  ;  for,  with  Mr.  Lawrence's  increasing  strength 
and  improved  health,  there  seemed  a  strong  ground  of 
hope  that  he  might  yet  recover  all  his  powers,  and  once 
more  take  his  place  among  his  former  business  asso 
ciates. 

He  writes  at  this  time  to  his  son  at  Andover : 

"  I  am  as  light  as  a  feather  this  morning,  and  feel  as  if  I  could 

mount  upon  a  zephyr,  and  ride  upon  its  back  to  A ;  but  I 

am  admonished  to  be  careful  when  my  spirits  are  thus  buoyant, 
lest  I  come  down  to  the  torpor  of  the  insect,  which  is  shut  up  by 
the  frost.  Extremes  are  apt  to  follow,  unless  I  take  great  care. 
Last  Sabbath,  I  kept  my  bed,  most  of  the  day,  with  a  poor  turn. 
Brother  A.  said,  on  Saturday,  he  knew  I  was  going  to  have  one, 
for  I  talked  right  on" 

In  March,  he  writes  : 


126  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

"  The  season  is  coming  forward  now  so  as  to  allow  me  the  use 
of  the  roads  around  Roxbury  and  Dorchester.  My  l  Doctor ' 
looks  so  altered  by  a  two  hours'  canter,  that  his  own  mother 
would  hardly  know  him  at  first  sight.  We  continue  excellent 
friends  ;  and  I  think  he  has  never  used  me  better  than  during  the 
last  few  days.  We  both  '  feel  our  oats '  and  our  youth.  I  feel 
like  sweet  twenty-five  ;  and  he,  I  judge,  like  vigorous  seven." 

On  April  28,  he  writes  to  a  young  friend  : 

"  When  you  get  married,  do  not  expect  a  higher  degree  of  per 
fection  than  is  consistent  with  mortality  in  your  wife.  If  you  do, 
you  will  be  disappointed.  Be  careful,  and  do  not  choose  upon  a 
theory  either.  I  dislike  much  of  the  nonsense  and  quackery  that 
is  dignified  with  the  name  of  intellectual  among  people.  Old- 
fashioned  common  sense  is  a  deal  better.  *  *  #  * 

"  There  was  a  part  of  Boston  which  used  to  be  visited  by 
young  men  out  of  curiosity  when  I  first  came  here,  into  which  I 
never  set  foot  for  the  whole  time  I  remained  a  single  man.  I 
avoided  it,  because  I  not  only  wished  to  keep  clear  of  the  tempta 
tions  common  in  that  part,  but  to  avoid  the  appearance  of  evil. 
I  never  regretted  it;  and  I  would  advise  all  young  men  to 
strengthen  their  good  resolutions  by  reflection,  and  to  plant  deep 
and  strong  the  principles  of  right,  and  to  avoid  temptation,  as 
time  gives  them  strength  to  stand  against  it." 

On  December  23,  he  writes  to  hia  wife,  who  had 
been  summoned  to  the  bedside  of  a  dying  relative  : 

"  Your  absence  makes  a  great  blank  in  the  family  ;  and  I  feel 
that  I  must  be  very  careful  lest  any  little  accident  should  make 
me  feel  of  a  deep  blue  while  you  are  away.  Confidence  is  a  great 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  127 

matter,  not  only  in  curing,  but  in  preventing  disease,  whether  of 
the  body  or  the  mind ;  and  I  have  somehow  got  the  notion  that  I 
am  more  safe  when  you  *  are  looking  after  me  than  when  you  are 
not,  and  that  any  trouble  is  sooner  cured  when  you  are  present 
than  when  you  are  not.  This  is,  I  suppose,  the  true  charm 
which  some  people  have  faith  in  to  keep  off  their  ills.  I  have 
been  forcibly  reminded  of  the  passage  of  time,  by  reviewing  the 
scenes  of  the  last  three  years,  and  am  deeply  sensible  of  the 
mercies  that  have  been  extended  to  me.  What  little  I  do  is  a 
poor  return :  may  a  better  spirit  prompt  and  guide  my  future 
services  !  What  few  I  have  rendered  are  estimated  by  my  breth 
ren  beyond  their  value,  and  of  course  tend  to  flatter  my  self-love. 
This  should  not  be ;  and  I  ought  to  see  myself  as  I  am  seen  by 
that  eye  that  never  sleeps.  The  situation  I  occupy  is  one  that  I 
would  not  exchange,  if  I  had  the  power,  with  any  man  living :  it 
is  full  of  agreeable  incidents,  and  free  from  the  toils  and  anxieties 
frequently  attendant  on  a  high  state  of  prosperity ;  and  is,  beside, 
free  from  that  jealousy,  or  from  any  other  cause  of  uneasiness,  so 
common  among  the  ardent  and  successful  in  this  world's  race." 

To  his  daughter,  who  was  on  a  visit  at  Washington, 
he  writes  : 

"  BOSTON,  May  18th,  1834.    Sunday  evening. 
"  MY  DEAR  CHILD  :  The  contrast  in  the  weather  to-day  with 

*  The  editor,  in  justice  to  his  own  feelings,  will  here  remark,  that  he 
believes  the  continuation  of  Mr.  Lawrence's  life,  after  he  became  a  con 
firmed  invalid,  was,  under  Providence,  in  a  great  measure  due  to  the  care 
and  faithful  attentions  of  his  wife.  For  more  than  twenty  years,  and 
during  his  frequent  seasons  of  languor  and  sickness,  she  submitted  to  many 
sacrifices,  and  bestowed  a  degree  of  care  and  watchfulness  such  as  affection 
alone  could  have  enabled  her  to  render. 


128  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

what  it  has  been  most  of  the  time  since  you  left  home,  is  as  great 
as  is  usual  between  a  bleak  November  day  and  the  soft  air  of 
June.  To-day  it  is  beautiful,  but  on  Wednesday  it  snowed, 
hailed,  and  rained,  and  I  am  told,  indeed,  that  a  few  miles  beyond 
Amherst  the  snow  fell  four  inches  in  depth.  You  have  reason  to 
be  thankful  that  you  have  been  in  a  milder  climate,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  are  seeing  all  the  wonders  that  open  upon  you  in  the 
new  world  on  which  you  have  entered. 

"  I  shall  be  expecting  a  letter  from  you  within  a  day  or  two ; 
there  can  be  no  want  of  materials  where  so  many  new  objects  are 
constantly  presenting  themselves,  and  there  is  a  pleasure  in 
receiving  them  just  as  they  appear  to  you ;  so  you  need  not  be 
afraid  to  place  before  me  the  first  sketches,  precisely  as  you  catch 
them. 

"To-day  I  suppose  you  are  in  Philadelphia,  and,  if  so,  I  hope 
you  have  attended  a  Friends'  meeting.  The  manner  of  worship 
and  the  appearance  of  the  people  are  different  from  anything  you 
have  seen ;  and  the  influence  of  this  sect  upon  the  taste  and  man 
ners  of  the  people  is  very  striking,  particularly  in  the  matter  of 
their  dress.  It  is  said  that  you  can  judge  something  of  the  char 
acter  of  a  lady  from  her  dress.  Without  deeming  it  an  essential,  I 
think  it  of  some  consequence.  This  strikes  the  eye  only,  and  may 
deceive ;  how  much  more  important  that  the  dress  of  the  heart 
and  mind  and  affections  be  right,  and  that  no  deception  be  found 
there  !  I  do  most  earnestly  pray  God  that  every  opportunity  may 
be  improved  by  you,  my  dear  S.,  to  adorn  yourself  with  all  those 
graces  that  shall  not  only  charm  the  eye,  but  also  with  those  that 
shall  win  the  affections  of  those  whose  affection  you  would  prize, 
and  more  especially  that  you  will  secure  the  approval  of  our  best 
Friend. 

*  *  *  *  *  * 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  129 

"  Monday  afternoon.  May  19.  —  I  have  received  your  charm 
ing  letter,  dated  on  Thursday  last.  It  is  just  the  thing,  a  simple 
narrative  of  facts ;  and  you  "will  find  plenty  of  materials  of  this 
sort,  as  I  stated  to  you  before.  I  have  been  in  the  saddle  to-day 
nearly  five  hours  with  your  Uncle  W.  and  Father  Taylor,  and 
am  very  tired,  but  shall  get  refreshed  by  a  night's  rest. 

"  The  day  is  beautiful,  finer  than  any  we  have  had  since  you 
left  home.  We  went  to  Mount  Auburn,  and  it  appears  very 
lovely ;  how  much  better  than  the  dreary  resting-places  for  the 
dead  so  common  in  New  England,  overgrown  with  thistles,  and 
the  graves  hardly  designated  by  a  rude  stone !  Our  Puritan 
forefathers  mistook  very  much,  I  think,  in  making  the  place  of 
deposit  for  our  mortal  remains  so  forbidding  in  appearance  to  the 
living.  A  better  taste  is  growing  among  us.  It  may  become  a 
matter  of  ostentation  (we  are  so  apt  to  go  to  extremes),  to  build 
sepulchres  and  monuments  to  hold  our  bodies,  that  will  speak  to 
our  shame  when  we  are  no  longer  subjects  of  trial ;  when,  in 
short,  we  shall  have  gone  to  our  account.  If  these  monuments 
could  speak  to  their  living  owners,  and  induce  them  to  labor  to 
merit,  while  they  may,  a  good  word  from  the  future  lookers  on, 
then  they  would  be  valuable  indeed.  As  it  is,  I  have  no  fault  to 
find ;  it  is  decidedly  better  than  the  old  fashion  of  making  these 
tenements  look  as  dreary  as  anything  in  this  world  can  look." 

To  the  same  he  writes,  a  few  days  later : 

"Tell that  I  saw  little this  morning.     She  is  the 

sweetest  little  creature  that  ever  lived,  and  I  find  myself  smiling 
whenever  I  think  of  the  dear  child  in  health.  Sympathy  is  a 
powerful  agent  in  illustrating  through  the  countenance  the  feel 
ings  within.  I  believe  my  face  is  as  arrant  a  tell-tale  as  ever  was 
worn ;  and  whenever  I  think  of  those  I  love,  under  happy  circum- 
17 


130  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

stances,  I  am  happy,  too.  So  you  may  judge  how  much  I  enjoy 
in  the  belief  that  you  are  enjoying  so  much,  and  doing  so  well,  in 
this  journey." 

On  February  8,  1835,  he  writes  to  a  young  friend  : 

"  Take  care  that  fancy  does  not  beguile  you  of  your  under 
standing  in  making  your  choice  :  a  mere  picture  is  not  all  that  is 
needful  in  the  up  and  down  hills  of  life.  The  arrangements  of 
the  household  and  the  sick  room  have  more  in  them  to  fasten 
upon  the  heart  than  all  the  beauties  and  honors  of  the  mere  gala 
days,  however  successfully  shown  off.  Be  careful,  when  you  pick, 
to  get  a  heart,  a  soul,  and  a  body ;  not  a  show  of  a  body  that  has 
mere  vitality.  All  this  comes  in  by  the  ears  ;  but  it  is  in, —  I 
will  not  blot  it  out." 

March  16,  he  writes  to  his  sister . 

"  I  have  had  so  much  call  for  my  sympathy,  assistance,  and 
advice,  among  my  brethren  in  trade,  that  I  have  little  inclination 
or  spirit  to  write  social  or  family  letters  since  my  last ;  but,  in  all 
this  turmoil  and  trouble  (and  it  really  is  as  disastrous  as  a  siege 
or  a  famine  to  the  country),  I  have  kept  up  a  good  heart,  and  have 
been  able  to  view  the  work  of  destruction  with  as  much  composure 
as  the  nature  of  the  case  will  allow.  Whatever  effects  it  shall 
produce  on  my  property,  I  shall  submit  to,  as  the  inevitable 
destruction  that  comes  without  any  fault  of  my  own,  of  course 
without  any  self-reproaches ;  but  for  the  authors  I  feel  a  just 
indignation.  As  regards  the  pecuniary  distress  among  us,  it  is 
subsiding  :  there  have  been  fewer  failures  than  were  anticipated  ; 
but  there  have  been  numbers  on  the  brink,  who  have  been  saved 
by  the  help  of  friends.  A  few  persons  have  done  great  service  in 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  131 

helping  those  who  could  not  help  themselves ;  and  the  conse 
quences  will  be  felt  here  for  years  to  come  in  the  credit  and 
standing  of  many  worthy  people,  who  must  otherwise  have  been 
broken  down.  Brother  A.  has  had  a  load  of  care  and  responsi 
bility  much  too  severe  for  him,  and  has  now  agreed  to  throw  off  a 
part  of  the  business  as  soon  as  the  present  pressure  is  past." 

April  29,  he  writes  : 

"I  am  busy  these  days,  but  have  no  very  important  duties, 
except  riding  with  the  ministers  and  the  young  ladies. " 

Again,  a  few  days  later  : 

"  I  am  completely  on  one  side,  while  I  appear  to  be  quite  busy 
in  putting  in  an  oar  now  and  then." 

To  his  daughter,  on  her  eighteenth  birth-day,  he 
writes : 

"  BOSTON,  May  23,  1835. 

"  MY  DEAR  S. .:  You  have  been  much  in  my  mind  to-day,  and 
now  that  I  am  sitting  alone  this  evening,  I  place  myself  at  your 
writing-desk  to  communicate  with  you,  and  thus  impart  some 
portion  of  those  feelings  of  interest  and  affection  which  a  return 
of  this  day  brings  more  strongly  into  play.  Eighteen  years  of 
your  life  are  now  passed,  and  the  events  of  this  period  have 
been  deeply  interesting  to  me,  and  have  made  such  impressions 
on  you,  and  have  left  such  marks  of  progress,  I  hope,  in  the 
divine  life,  as  will  insure  your  onward  and  upward  course,  until 
you  shall  join  that  dear  one  whose  home  has  been  in  heaven 
for  nearly  the  whole  period  of  your  life.  When  I  look  upon 


132  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

you,  or  think  of  jour  appearance,  the  image  of  your  mother  is 
before  me,  and  then  I  feel  that  deep  solicitude  that  your  mind 
and  heart  may  be  imbued  with  those  heavenly  influences  that  gave 
a  grace  and  charm  to  all  she  did. 

"  There  is  no  substitute  for  those  traits,  and  you  may  feel 
entire  confidence  that  a  practical  use  of  them  in  prosperity  will 
prove  the  best  security  against  the  changes  which  adversity  brings 
about.  If  I  were  to  select  for  you  the  richest  portion  which  a 
fond  father  could  choose,  it  would  be  that  you  might  have  a  mind 
and  a  heart  to  perform  all  those  duties  which  your  station  and 
condition  in  life  require,  upon  the  true  Christian  principle  of 
using  your  one  or  more  talents,  and  thus,  at  the  day  of  account, 
receive  the  cheering  sound  of  the  Master's  voice. 

"  What  treasure  will  compare  with  this  ?  The  charms  of  life 
are  captivating  to  the  imagination,  but  there  are  none  more  calcu 
lated  to  add  to  our  joys  here  than  elevated  Christian  principles, 
however  they  may  be  branded  by  the  mere  worldling  as  '  cold, 
unsocial,'  and  the  like.  You  see  how  important  it  is  to  form  a 
just  estimate  of  the  value  of  these  different  objects.  When  a 
mistake  is  made  here,  the  consequences  may  be  never-ending. 
Our  danger  is  in  cheating  ourselves,  by  leaving  undone  those 
things  our  conscience  tells  us  we  ought  to  do,  and  doing  others 
that  it  tells  us  we  ought  not  to  do. 

"  I  have  thought,  for  some  time  past,  my  dear  child,  that  your 
mind  was  laboring  under  the  influence  of  religious  truth,  and  I 
have  been  made  most  comfortable  in  this  belief.  Cultivate  those 
feelings,  and  study  to  make  your  example  good  to  others,  as  well 
as  safe  for  yourself.  Our  time  here  is  short,  but  it  is  long  enough 
to  accomplish  the  work  we  are  sent  to  perform,  and  the  conse 
quences  will  be  on  our  own  heads  if  we  omit  or  neglect  to 
do  it." 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  133 

(TO   THE   SAME.) 

"  GROTON,  August  9,  1835. 

"  DEAR  S.  :  I  have  been  talking  with  your  grandmother,  for 
the  last  hour,  upon  the  events  of  her  early  days,  and  I  feel  (as  I 
always  do  when  I  contrast  our  present  condition  with  the  past) 
that  we,  as  a  whole  people,  and  as  individuals,  have  more  reasons 
for  gratitude  and  obedience  to  our  heavenly  Father  than  have 
ever  before  been  placed  before  any  people ;  and  it  seems  to  me  we 
are  more  likely  to  disregard  them  than  any  other  people  I  have 
any  knowledge  of.  The  fact  is,  we  are  so  prosperous  that  we 
seem  to  forget  the  source  of  our  prosperity,  and  take  it  as  a 
matter  of  course  that  the  character  and  conduct  of  a  people 
cannot  influence  their  condition.  We  are  ready  to  say  of  an 
individual  when  he  has  been  reckless  and  extravagant,  that  he  has 
brought  destruction  on  himself.  Why,  then,  may  not  a  whole 
people  be  judged  by  the  same  standard?  Our  great  danger  arises 
from  false  principles.  We  never  act  above  the  standard  we 
adopt ;  and  if  our  standard  be  so  low  as  to  authorize  the  gratifi 
cation  of  the  basest  passions,  how  natural  that  our  tastes  become 
conformed  to  this  standard  ! 

"  These  reflections  arose  in  my  mind  by  hearing  from  my 
mother  the  stories  of  the  '  times  that  tried  men's  souls ; '  how  she 
was  separated  from  her  husband  immediately  after  her  marriage, 
when  he  joined  the  army  in  Rhode  Island ;  how,  after  a  battle, 
his  mother  said  to  her  '  she  did  not  know  but  Sam  was  killed ; ' 
how  she  fell  instantly  upon  the  floor,  and  how,  within  a  day  or 
two,  after  a  separation  of  eight  months,  she  was  rejoiced  to  see  her 
husband  safe  and  sound  (although  at  the  time  alluded  to  he  had 
been  in  great  peril,  having  been  saved  from  captivity  by  the  des 
perate  efforts  of  a  company  of  blacks,  and  by  the  fleetness  and 
force  of  his  fine  charger)  ;  and  how,  by  confidence  in  the  justness 


134  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

of  the  cause  and  the  aid  of  the  Almighty,  they  trusted  they 
should  get  through  the  contest,  and  be  permitted  to  enjoy  the 
fruits  of  their  own  labor  in  their  own  way.  And  now,  what 
proportion  of  the  people  do  you  suppose  refer  to  the  aid  of  the 
Almighty,  or  to  his  justice  or  judgment  as  a  motive  to  their 
actions,  or  how  far  does  his  fear  or  his  love  influence  their  con 
duct?  These  questions  are  more  easily  asked  than  answered; 
but  they  fill  the  mind^  with  mournful  forebodings  of  the 
necessary  consequences  to  any  people  of  forgetting  God  and 
departing  from  his  love.  You  and  I,  and  every  individual,  have 
it  in  our  power  to  keep  off  in  some  degree  this  fatal  consum 
mation.  Let  us,  therefore,  examine  well  ourselves,  ancT  strive  to 
be  numbered  among  those  faithful  stewards  who,  at  their  Master's 
coming,  shall  be  placed  among  the  happy  company  who  enter  the 
joy  of  their  Lord. 

"  This  morning  is  one  of  those  delightful  quiet  Sabbaths  that 
seem  to  be  like  the  rest  of  the  saints  above.  We  are  all  soon  to 
be  on  our  way  to  public  worship.  *  *  *  * 

(TO   HIS   MOTHER.) 

"Aug.  16,  1835. 

"MY  DEAR  AND  HONORED  MOTHER :  My  mind  turns  back 
to  you  almost  as  frequently  as  its  powers  are  brought  into  separate 
action,  and  always  with  an  interest  that  animates  and  quickens  my 
pulse ;  for,  under  God,  it  is  by  your  good  influence  and  teachings 
that  I  am  prepared  to  enjoy  those  blessings  which  he  has  so 
richly  scattered  in  my  path  in  all  my  onward  progress  in  life. 
How  could  it  be  otherwise  than  that  your  image  should  be  with 
me,  unless  I  should  prove  wholly  unworthy  of  you?  Your 
journey  is  so  much  of  it  performed,  that  those  objects  which 
interested  you  greatly  in  its  early  stages  have  lost  their  charms ; 
and  well  it  is  that  they  have  ;  for  they  now  would  prove  dogs  in 


DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  135 

the  way ;  and  it  is  to  your  children,  to  your  Saviour,  and  your 
God,  that  your  mind  and  heart  now  turn  as  the  natural  sources  of 
pleasure.  Each  of  these,  I  trust,  in  their  proper  place  and  degree, 
supply  all  your  wants.  The  cheering  promise  that  has  encouraged 
you  when  your  powers  were  the  highest,  will  not  fail  you  when 
the  weight  of  years  and  infirmities  have  made  it  more  necessary 
to  your  comfort  to  get  over  the  few  remaining  spans  of  the 
journey.  To  God  I  commend  you ;  and  pray  him  to  make  the 
path  light,  and  your  way  confiding  and  joyful,  until  you  shall 
reach  that  home  prepared  for  the  faithful." 

In  a  ,  letter  to  his  sister,  dated  Oct.  25,  he  further 
alludes  to  his  mother,  as  follows 

"  My  thoughts  this  morning  have  been  much  engaged  with  my 
early  home.  I  conclude  it  best  to  embody  them  in  part,  and  send 
them  forward  to  add  (if  they  may)  a  token  of  gratitude  and 
thankfulness  to  that  dear  one  who  is  left  to  us,  for  her  care  of  our 
early  days,  and  her  Christian  'instruction  and  example  to  her 
children,  grandchildren,  and  great-grandchildren;  each  genera 
tion  of  whom,  I  trust,  will  be  made  better  in  some  of  its  members 
by  her.  It  is  more  natural,  when  in  our  weakness  and  want,  to 
£urn  our  thoughts  to  those  whom  they  have  been  accustomed  to 
look  to  for  assistance ;  and  thus  to  me  the  impression  of  the  blessing 
I  enjoy  in  having  such  a  home  as  mine  is,  and  the  blessing  I  early 
enjoyed  of  having  such  a  home  as  mine  was  under  my  father's 
roof,  say  to  my  heart :  '  All  these  increase  thy  responsibilities, 
and  for  their  use  thou  must  account.'  I  have  had  one  of  my 
slight  ill  turns  within  the  last  two  days,  that  has  brought  back 
all  these  feelings  with  increased  force ;  and  I  look  upon  these  as 
gentle  monitors,  calculated  to  make  me  estimate  more  fully  my 
blessings  and  my  duties.  Frequently  as  I  am  admonished  of  the 


136  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

frail  tenure  by  which  I  hold  my  life,  I  am  negligent  and  careless 
in  the  performance  of  those  high  and  every-day  duties  which  I 
should  never  lose  sight  of  for  an  hour.  I  have  also  such  buoyancy 
of  spirits,  that  life  seems  to  me  a  very,  very  great  blessing,  and  I 
do  at  times  strive  to  make  it  useful  to  those  around  me." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

REFLECTIONS. —VISIT    TO    WASHINGTON.  —  VISIT    TO    RAINSFORD 
ISLAND.  — VIEWS  OF  DEATH.  —  REFLECTIONS. 

FROM  memorandum-book  of  property,  December  31, 
1835  : 

"My  expenses  have  been thousand  dollars  this  year;  of 

which  about  one  half  went  for  persons  and  objects  that  make  me 
feel  that  it  has  been  well  expended,  and  is  better  used  than  to  remain 
in  my  possession.  God  grant  that  I  may  have  the  disposition  to 
use  these  talents  in  such  manner  as  to  receive  at  last  the  joyful 
sound  of  c  Well  done  ! '  " 

On  March  29,  1836,  Mr.  Lawrence  writes  : 

"  My  anxiety  for  a  day  or  two  about  little  things  kept  me  from 
the  enjoyment  of  those  bright  scenes  that  are  so  common  to  me 
when  not  oppressed  by  any  of  these  may  be  events.  My  nerves 
are  in  such  a  shattered  state,  that  I  am  quite  unfit  to  encounter 
the  responsibilities  incident  to  my  station,  and  I  am  ashamed  of 
myself  thus  to  expose  my  weakness." 

During  the  spring,  Mr.  Lawrence's  health  was  so 
feeble,  and  his  nervous  system  so  shattered,  that  a 
journey  was  recommended ;  and,  in  the  month  of 

18  137 


138  DIAEY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

May,  in  company  with  his  friend  and  pastor,  the  Kev. 
Dr.  Lqthrop,  he  paid  a  visit  to  his  brother  Abbott,  at 
Washington,  then  the  representative  in  Congress  for 
Boston.  During  this  journey,  he  experienced  a  severe 
illness,  and  was  shortly  joined  by  Mrs.  Lawrence. 
The  visit  to  Washington  extended  through  several 
weeks  :  and,  although  his  health  remained  feeble  and 
the  weather  unfavorable,  he  seems  to  have  been  alive 
to  objects  around  him,  and  interested  in  what  was 
going  forward  in  the  halls  of  Congress  as  well  as  in 
the  society  of  the  capital.  He  speaks  of  visits  to  the 
houses  of  Congress,  and  pleasant  rides  on  horseback, 
1 '  with  hosts  of  agreeable  companions  ready  to  sally 
forth  when  the  weather  shall  permit/'  He  also  takes 
a  survey  of  the  general  state  of  society  in  Washington, 
with  an  occasional  allusion  to  some  particular  person 
age.  He  writes  : 

"  It  used  to  be  said  that  Washington  and  the  Springs  were  the 
places  for  matrimonial  speculations.  I  feel  a  natural  dislike  to  a 
lady  being  brought  out  as  an  extraordinary  affair,  having  all  per 
fections,  and  having  refused  forty-nine  offers,  and  still  being  on 
the  carpet.  It  shows  that  she  is  either  very  silly  herself,  or  has 
very  silly  friends,  or  both.  Good  strong  common  sense  is  worth 
more  than  forty-nine  offers,  with  any  quantity  of  slaves,  or  bank 
notes,  or  lands,  without  it.  ***** 

"  I  have  passed  two  hours  in  the  Representatives'  Hall  and 
Senate  Chamber  to-day.  I  heard  the  usual  sparring,  and  confess 
myself  greatly  interested  in  it.  I  could  learn  nothing  of  the 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  139 

merits  of  any  of  the  questions ;  but  I  had  a  preference,  such  as 
one  feels  in  seeing  two  dogs  fight,  that  one  should  beat.  It  was 
very  agreeable  to  me  to  see  and  hear  those  various  distinguished 
characters,  and  goes  to  demonstrate  the  common  saying,  that  some 
objects  appear  smaller  by  our  getting  nearer  to  them/' 

During  this  absence,  one  of  his  family  remaining  at 
home  had  experienced  a  light  attack  of  varioloid  ;  and, 
according  to  the  law  then  in  force,  was  obliged  to  be 
transported  to  the  Quarantine  Hospital,  situated  in 
Boston  Harbor.  Soon  after  Mr.  Lawrence's  return 
from  the  South,  he  paid  a  visit  to  Rainsford  Island, 
on  the  invitation  of  Dr.  J.  V.  C.  Smith,  then  Quaran 
tine  Physician,  and  there  passed  some  weeks  very 
pleasantly,  riding  about  the  island  on  his  horse,  and 
watching,  from  the  shores,  the  sea-views,  which,  with 
the  passing  ships,  here  afford  an  endless  variety. 

In  August,  he  returned  to  his  own  house  in  Boston  ; 
and,  on  the  21st,  writes  to  his  sister  as  follows  : 

"  The  scenery  in  front,  side,  and  rear,  and  all  within,  is 
unrivalled,  except  by  the  charms  of  the  dear  old  home  of  my 
mother  and  sister ;  in  short,  it  seems  to  me  that  no  two  spots 
combine  so  many  charms  as  my  early  and  present  homes  ;  and 
they  impress  me  more  fully  now  by  my  being  so  well  as  to  enjoy 
not  only  natural  scenery,  but  the  social  intercourse  with  loved 
ones,  that  more  than  compensate  for  anything  I  may  have  lost  by 
sickness  and  suffering.  I  yesterday  was  on  horseback  nearly  three 
hours,  but  did  not  ride  more  than  ten  miles ;  and,  in  that  distance, 
I  went  over  some  scenes  that  I  felt  unwilling  to  leave,  especially 


140  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

some  of  the  old  works  on  and  near  Dorchester  Heights  ,  for  they 
appeared  more  interesting  than  ever  before,  from  the  circumstance 
of  your  showing  me  that  mass  of  original  letters  from  Washing 
ton,  Hancock,  Samuel  Adams,  and  various  other  revolutionary 
characters,  to  General  Ward ;  some  of  them  touching  the  occupa 
tion  of  these  heights  sixty  years  ago,  and  some  of  them  alluding 
to  scenes  which  have  scarcely  been  noticed  in  the  published 
histories  of  those  days.  All  go  to  show,  however,  the  whole  souls 
of  those  men  to  have  been  engaged  in  their  work ;  and,  further,  how 
vain  it  is  for  us  of  this  day,  who  are  ambitious  of  distinction,  to 
found  it  on  any  other  basis  than  uprightness  of  character,  purity 
of  life,  and  the  active  performance  of  all  those  duties  included  in 
1  the  doing  justly,  loving  mercy,  and  walking  humbly.'  How 
few  of  us  remember  this  !  I  hardly  know  when  I  have  been  more 
forcibly  impressed  with  a  plain  truth  than  I  was  yesterday,  while 
sitting  alone  on  horseback,  on  the  top  of  the  redoubt  on  Dorchester 
Heights,  and  the  considerations  of  the  past,  the  present,  and  the 
future,  were  the  subject  of  my  thoughts,  connecting  the  men  of 
those  days  with  the  present,  and  the  men  of  these  days  with  the 
future.  The  evidence  is  irresistible,  that  there  is  a  downhill 
tendency  in  the  character  of  the  people,  which,  in  sixty  years 
more,  will  make  us  more  corrupt  than  any  other  enlightened 
nation  so  young  as  ours,  unless  we  are  checked  by  adversity  and 
suffering.  But  this  is  not  what  I  intended  to  write  about,  so  I 
will  go  to  something  else.  The  old  revolutionary  documents, 
memorials  of  our  father,  never  appeared  to  me  so  interesting  as 
now ;  and  those  I  now  return  to  you  will  be  carefully  preserved, 
and  such  others  as  you  may  find,  added  to  them.  I  would  give  a 
great  sum  of  money,  if  by  it  I  could  get  all  the  documents  I 
used  to  see  when  I  was  a  child,  and  which  we  thought  of  so  little 
value  that  we  did  not  preserve  them  with  that  care  which  should 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  141 

have  been  used  in  a  family  which  cherishes  such  deep  feelings  of 
respect  and  affection  for  parents." 

The  year  1837  will  be  remembered  as  one  of  great 
pecuniary  embarrassment  and  distress  in  the  commer 
cial  world.  Mr.  Lawrence  alludes  to  it  as  follows,  on 
May  13 

"  The  violent  pecuniary  revulsion  that  has  been  anticipated  for 
more  than  a  year  has  at  length  overtaken  this  country,  and  is 
more  severe  than  our  worst  fears.  In  addition  to  the  failure  of 
people  to  pay  their  debts,  in  all  sections  of  the  country,  for  the 
last  two  months,  the  banks,  from  Baltimore  to  Boston,  and 
probably  throughout  the  Union,  as  fast  as  the  intelligence  spreads, 
have  suspended  specie  payment,  and  will  not  probably  resume 
again  very  soon." 

On  December  17  of  the  same  year,  he  writes  to  his 
mother  as  follows 

"  This  day  completes  thirty  years  since  my  commencing 
business,  with  the  hope  of  acquiring  no  very  definite  amount  of 
property,  or  having  in  my  mind  any  anticipation  of  ever  enjoying 
a  tithe  of  that  consideration  my  friends  and  the  public  are  disposed 
to  award  me  at  this  time.  In  looking  back  to  that  period,  and 
reviewing  the  events  as  they  come  along,  I  can  see  the  good  hand 
of  God  in  all  my  experience ;  and  acknowledge,  with  deep 
humiliation,  my  want  of  gratitude  and  proper  -**eturn  for  all  his 
mercies.  May  each  day  I  live  impress  me  more  deeply  with  a 
sense  of  duty,  and  find  me  better  prepared  to  answer  his  call,  and 
account  for  my  stewardship  !  The  changes  in  our  family  have 
been  perhaps  no  greater  than  usual  in  other  families  in  that 


142  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

period,  excepting  in  the  matter  of  the  eminent  success  that  has 
attended  our  efforts  of  a  worldly  nature.  This  worldly  success  is 
the  great  cause  of  our  danger  in  its  uses,  and  may  prove  a  snare, 
unless  we  strive  to  keep  constantly  in  mind,  that  to  whom  much 
is  given,  of  him  will  much  be  required.  I  feel  my  own  deficien 
cies,  and  lament  them ;  but  am  encouraged  and  rewarded  by  the 
enjoyment,  in  a  high  degree,  of  all  my  well-meant  efforts  for  the 
good  of  those  around  me.  In  short,  I  feel  as  though  I  can  still 
do  a  little  to  advance  the  cause  of  human  happiness  while  I 
remain  here.  My  maxim  is,  that  I  ought  to  t  work  while  the  day 
lasts ;  for  the  night  of  death  will  soon  overtake  me,  when  I  can 
no  more  work.'  I  continue  to  mend  in  strength,  and  feel  at  times 
the  buoyancy  of  early  days.  It  is  now  raining  in  torrents,  keep 
ing  us  all  within  doors.  I  have  been  at  work  with  gimblet,  saw, 
fore-plane,  and  hammer,  thus  securing  a  good  share  of  exercise 
without  leaving  my  chamber." 

"  January  1,  1838. —  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul  !  and  forget 
not  all  his  benefits ;  for  he  has  restored  my  life  twice  during  the 
past  year,  when  I  was  apparently  dead,  and  has  permitted  me  to 
live,  and  see  and  enjoy  much,  and  has  surrounded  me  writh  bless 
ings  that  call  for  thankfulness.  The  possession  of  my  mind,  the 
intercourse  with  beloved  friends,  the  opportunity  of  performing 
some  labor  as  his  steward  (although  imperfectly  done),  all  call 
upon  me  for  thanksgiving  and  praise.  The  violent  revulsion  in 
the  business  of  the  country  during  the  past  year  has  been  ruinous 
to  many ;  but,  so  far  as  my  own  interests  are  concerned,  has  been 
less  than  I  anticipated.  My  property  remains  much  as  it  was  a 
year  ago.  Something  beyond  my  income  has  been  disposed  of; 
and  I  have  no  debts  against  me,  either  as  a  partner  in  the  firm  or 
individually.  Everything  is  in  a  better  form  for  settlement  than 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  143 

at  any  former  period,  and  I  hope  to  feel  ready  to  depart  whenever 
called." 

The  following  is  copied  from  an  account-book,  pre 
sented  at  the  commencement  of  the  year  to  his  young 
est  son,  then  twelve  years  of  age  : 

"  MY  DEAR  SON  :  I  give  you  this  little  book,  that  you  may 
write  in  it  how  much  money  you  receive,  and  how  you  use  it.  It 
is  of  much  importance,  in  forming  your  early  character,  to  have 
correct  habits,  and  a  strict  regard  to  truth  in  all  you  do.  For 
this  purpose,  I  advise  you  never  to  cheat  yourself  by  making  a 
false  entry  in  this  book.  If  you  spend  money  for  an  object  you 
would  not  willingly  have  known,  you  will  be  more  likely  to  avoid 
doing  the  same  thing  again  if  you  call  it  by  its  right  name  here, 
remembering  always  that  there  is  One  who  cannot  be  deceived, 
and  that  He  requires  his  children  to  render  an  account  of  all 
their  doings  at  last.  I  pray  God  so  to  guide  and  direct  you  that, 
when  your  stewardship  here  is  ended,  he  may  say  to  you  that  the 
talents  intrusted  to  your  care  have  been  faithfully  employed. 

"  Your  affectionate  father,         A.  L." 

In  transmitting  to  his  sister  a  letter  received  from 
Baltimore,  from  a  mutual  friend,  he  writes,  on  March 
12,  in  a  postscript : 

"  This  morning  seems  almost  like  a  foretaste  of  heaven.  The 
sun  shines  bright,  the  air  is  soft ;  I  am  comfortable,  and  expect  a 
pleasant  drive  in  the  neighborhood.  It  is  indeed  brilliant,  beau 
tiful,  and  interesting  to  me,  beyond  any  former  experience  of  my 
life.  I  am  the  happiest  man  alive,  and  yet  would  willingly 


144  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

exchange  worlds  this  day,  if  it  be  the  good  pleasure  of  our  best 
Friend  and  Father  in  heaven." 

The  extract  quoted  above  will  give  an  idea  of  that 
state  of  mind  in  which  Mr.  Lawrence  was  often  found 
by  his  friends,  and  which  he  unceasingly  strove  to 
cultivate.  He  could  not  always  exult  in  the  same 
buoyant  and  almost  rapturous  feelings  here  expressed ; 
for,  with  his  feeble  frame  and  extreme  susceptibility 
to  outward  influences,  to  believe  such  was  the  case 
would  be  to  suppose  him  more  than  mortal.  The 
willingness  to  exchange  worlds  was,  however,  a  con 
stant  frame  of  mind ;  and  the  daily  probability  of 
such  an  event  he  always  kept  in  view.  The  work  of 
each  day  was  performed  with  the  feeling  that  it  might 
be  his  last ;  and  there  is,  throughout  his  correspond 
ence  and  diary,  frequent  allusion  to  the  uncertain 
tenure  by  which  he  held  life,  and  his  determination 
to  work  while  the  day  lasted.  If  a  matter  was  to  be 
attended  to,  of  great  or  little  importance,  whether  the 
founding  a  professorship,  signing  a  will,  or  paying  a 
household  bill,  all  was  done  at  the  earliest  moment, 
with  the  habitual  remark,  "I  may  not  be  here 
to-morrow  to  do  it." 

In  the  same  cheerful  spirit,  he  writes  to  his  son  a 
few  days  after  his  marriage,  and  then  on  a  journey  to 
Virginia  : 

"  The  whole  scene  here  on  Thursday  last  was  so  delightful 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE  145 

that  I  hardly  knew  whether  I  was  on  the  earth,  or  floating 
between  earth  and  heaven.  I  have  been  exalted  ever  since,  and 
the  group  of  happy  friends  will  be  a  sunny  spot  in  your  no  less 
than  in  their  remembrance." 

To  his  sister  he  writes,  Dec.  22  : 

"  It  is  thirty-one  years  this  week  since  I  commenced  business 
on  my  own  account,  and  the  prospects  were  as  gloomy  at  that 
period  for  its  successful  pursuit  as  at  any  time  since  ;  but  I  never 
had  any  doubt  or  misgiving  as  to  my  success,  for  I  then  had  no 
more  wants  than  my  means  would  justify.  The  habits  then 
formed,  and  since  confirmed  and  strengthened  by  use,  have  been 
the  foundation  of  my  good  name,  good  fortune,  and  present  happy 
condition.  At  that  time  (when  you  know  I  used  to  visit  you  as 
often  as  I  could,  by  riding  in  the  night  until  I  sometimes 
encroached  upon  the  earliest  hour  of  the  Sabbath  before  reaching 
my  beloved  home,  to  be  at  my  business  at  the  dawn  of  day  on 
Monday  morning),  my  gains  were  more  than  my  expenses;  thus 
strengthening  and  encouraging  me  in  the  steady  pursuit  of  those 
objects  I  had  in  view  as  a  beginner.  From  that  time  to  this,  I 
am  not  aware  of  ever  desiring  or  acquiring  any  great  amount  by 
a  single  operation,  or  of  taking  any  part  of  the  property  of  any 
other  man  and  mingling  it  with  my  own,  where  I  had  the  legal 
right  to  do  so.  I  have  had  such  uniform  success  as  to  make  my 
fidelity  a  matter  of  deep  concern  to  myself ;  and  my  prayer  to 
God  is,  that  I  may  be  found  to  have  acted  a  uniform  part,  and 
receive  the  joyful  '  Well  done,'  which  is  substantial  wealth,  that 
no  man  can  take  away.  If  my  experience  could  be  made  avail 
able  by  my  successors,  I  sometimes  feel  that  it  would  be  a 
guaranty  that  they  would  keep  in  the  best  path ;  but,  as  they  are 
to  be  fitted  by  discipline  for  the  journey,  it  is  perhaps  a  vain  thing 
19 


146  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

for  me  to  allow  any  doubts  to  rest  upon  my  mind  that  that  disci 
pline  is  not  for  their  highest  good.  The  pleasures  of  memory 
have  never  been  more  highly  enjoyed  than  during  the  period  of 
my  last  sickness.  They  have  solaced  my  pains,  and  supported  me 
through  numerous  fainting  fits,  growing  out  of  the  surgical  treat 
ment  I  have  endured.  I  would  ask  you,  my  dear  sister,  if  a 
merciful  Parent  has  not  stretched  forth  his  hand  almost  visibly  to 
support  me  through  this  trying  scene,  by  scattering  in  my  path 
these  flowers  and  fruits  so  freely  as  almost  to  make  me  forget 
bodily  pains ;  and  bless  him  for  what  is  past,  and  trust  that  what 
is  future  will  be  the  means  of  making  me  a  better  man." 

"December  31,  1838. —  The  business  of  the  year  now  brought 
to  a  close  has  been  unexpectedly  productive,  and  the  prospects 
of  continued  success  are  very  flattering.  At  the  commencement 
of  the  year,  my  life  seemed  a  flickering  light,  with  small  hope  of 
its  continuance  through  the  winter ;  but  a  merciful  Providence 
has  permitted  a  brighter  view,  and  my  happiness  through  the 
year  has  been  superior  to  that  of  any  year  of  my  life." 

After  enumerating  some  domestic  events  which  had 
contributed  to  this  result,  he  adds : 

"  My  own  health  is  so  far  restored  as  to  allow  me  the  enjoy 
ment  of  everything  around  me  in  perfection.  May  God  in  mercy 
keep  me  mindful  of  my  duties,  and  prepared  to  surrender  my 
account  at  any  moment  he  may  call  me  hence  !  " 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

BROTHER'S  DEATH.  —  LETTERS.  —  GIFTS.  —  LETTERS.  —  DIARY.  —  AP 
PLICANTS  FOR  AID.  —  REFLECTIONS.  —  LETTER  FROM  REV  DR. 
STONE.  — DIARY. 

IF,  at  the  close  of  the  last  year,  Mr.  Lawrence  could 
say  that  ' '  his  happiness  had  been  superior  to  that  of 
any  year  of  his  life,"  it  could  not  be  said  that  its 
successor  was  one  of  unmingled  brightness.  The  un 
broken  band  of  brothers  who  had  marched  thus  far 
hand  in  hand,  united  by  a  common  bond  of  sympathy 
and  affection,  sustaining  each  other  in  all  trials,  and 
rejoicing  together  in  their  common  prosperity,  was 
about  to  be  sundered.  Since  their  earliest  days,  they 
had  had  but  one  interest,  and,  residing  near  each  other 
after  leaving  their  early  home,  had  been  in  the  habit 
of  most  constant  and  intimate  intercourse.  Many  of 
their  friends  will  well  remember  seeing  four,  and  some 
times  five,  of  them,  on  Sunday  evening,  after  service, 
walking  together  abreast,  arm  in  arm ;  and  have  been 
tempted  to  exclaim,  "Behold  how  good  and  pleasant 
a  thing  it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity." 
They  had  more  than  obeyed  their  father's  injunction 
"not  to  fall  out  by  the  way,  for  a  three-fold  cord  is  not 

147 


148  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

quickly  broken."  With  them,  it  had  been  a  five-fold 
cord  ;  and,  amidst  all  the  perplexities  of  business,  the 
management  of  important  interests,  and  the  various 
vicissitudes  of  domestic  life,  no  strand  had  been  broken 
until  severed  by  the  ruthless  hand  of  death.  The 
eldest  brother,  Luther,  had  been  educated  at  Harvard 
College  ;  had  studied  law  with  the  Hon.  Timothy 
Bigelow,  then  of  Groton,  afterwards  of  Medford,  whose 
sister  he  subsequently  married ;  and  had  commenced 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  his  native  town. 
There  he  met  with  good  success,  and,  for  many  years, 
represented  the  town  in  the  House  of  Kepresentatives, 
of  which  he  was  chosen  Speaker  for  the  session  of 
1821  and  1822.  He  was  induced  by  his  brothers,  who 
had  become  largely  interested  in  the  new  town  of 
Lowell,  to  remove  thither  ;  and  he  accordingly  took  up 
his  residence  there  in  1831,  having  accepted  the  presi 
dency  of  the  bank  which  had  been  lately  established. 
In  1838,  he  had  been  elected  Mayor  of  the  city,  and 
had  given  himself  up  to  the  pressing  duties  incident  to 
the  office  in  a  new  and  growing  community.  While 
holding  this  office,  he,  on  the  17th  of  April,  1839, 
accompanied  an  old  friend  and  connection,  who  was  on 
a  visit  at  Lowell,  to  inspect  the  works  of  the  Middle 
sex  Manufacturing  Company,  recently  erected  by 
his  brothers.  In  passing  rapidly  through  one  of  the 
rooms,  he  made  a  misstep,  and  was  precipitated  many 
feet  into  a  wheel-pit,  causing  almost  instant  death. 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  149 

This  sad  event  was  deeply  felt  by  Mr.  Lawrence,  as 
well  as  by  all  who  knew  and  appreciated  the  character 
of  the  deceased.  In  a  letter  to  his  sisters,  dated  April 
22,  he  says  : 

"  I  should  have  addressed  a  word  of  comfort  to  you  before 
this.  That  he  should  be  taken,  and  I  left,  is  beyond  my  ken, 
and  is  a  mystery  which  will  be  cleared  up  hereafter.  I  do,  how 
ever,  know  now  that  all  is  right,  and  better  ordered  than  we 
could  have  done  it.  We  must  submit,  and  should  be  resigned. 
Brother  L.'s  death  may,  perhaps,  be  more  efficient  in  instructing 
us  in  the  path  of  duty  than  would  have  been  his  life ;  and  the 
whole  community  around  is  admonished  by  this  event  in  a  way 
that  I  have  rarely  seen  so  marked.  The  homage  to  his  character 
is  a  legacy  to  his  children  of  more  value  than  all  the  gold  of  the 
mint.  Shall  we,  then,  repine  at  his  separation  from  us  ?  Surely 
not.  He  has  fulfilled  his  mission,  and  is  taken  home,  with  all  his 
powers  fresh  and  perfect,  and  with  the  character  of  having  used 
these  powers  for  the  best  and  highest  good  of  all  around  him. 
We  shall  all  soon  be  called  away,  and  should  make  his  departure 
the  signal  to  be  also  ready.  This  is  the  anniversary  of  my  birth, 
and  has  been  marked  by  many  circumstances  of  peculiar  interest." 

On  the  same  date,  he  writes  to  a  connection,  who 
was  about  to  take  possession  of  his  house  on  that  day 
for  the  first  time  after  his  marriage  : 

"  I  intended  speaking  a  word  in  your  ear  before  your  leaving 
us  for  your  own  fireside  and  home,  but  have  concluded  to  take 
this  mode  of  doing  it ;  and  it  is  to  say,  that  you  possess  a  jewel  in 
your  wife,  above  price,  which  should  be  worn  in  such  an  atmos- 


150  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

phere  as  will  increase  its  purity  and  value  the  longer  you  possess 
it ;  and  that  is  around  the  family  altar.  That  you  intend  to 
establish  it,  I  have  no  doubt;  but,  as  to  the  precise  time,  you 
may  not  be  fixed.  What  time  so  good  as  the  present  time,  when 
the  first  evening  of  possession  of  this  paradise  on  earth  (a  house 
and  home  of  your  own  with  such  a  wife),  to  make  that  offering  to 
the  Father  of  mercies  which  ascends  to  his  throne  as  sweet 
incense  from  his  children  ?  It  is  the  nutriment  and  efficient  pro 
ducing  power  of  the  best  principles  and  the  best  fruits  of  our 
nature.  Be  wise  in  time,  and  strive  to  secure  these,  that  you 
may  go  on  from  one  degree  to  another,  until  you  shall  have 
reached  our  Father's  house,  and  shall  hear  the  cheering  '  Well 
done ! '  promised  to  such  as  have  used  their  talents  without 
abusing  them.  My  blessing  attend  you  !  " 

(TO   HIS   DAUGHTER.) 

"  Monday  evening. 

UDEAR  S. :  The  admonition  of  the  last  week  comes  home  to  me 
in  a  way  not  to  be  neglected,  and  I  hope  to  keep  in  mind  that,  in 
my  best  days,  I  am  as  likely  to  be  called  off,  as  in  these  days  of 
anxious  care,  when  pressed  down  with  pain  and  weakness,  and 
surrounded  by  those  dear  ones  who  look  upon  every  emotion  with 
deep  solicitude.  On  comparing  myself  now  with  myself  a  year 
ago,  I  have  much  to  animate  and  cheer  in  the  increased  streno*th 

O    '  C3 

of  body  and  renewed  powers,  by  which  I  can  enjoy  life ;  but  I 
have  also  much  to  speak  to  the  heart,  and  to  tell  me  to  be  con 
stantly  ready  to  be  called  off  without  previous  note  of  prepara 
tion.  May  I  never  lose  sight,  for  a  single  hour,  of  the  tenure  by 
which  I  hold  the  privilege  of  seeing  the  dear  ones  settled  so 
happily  !  It  is  more  than  I  had  reason  to  anticipate. 

"  May  you,  dear  child,  never  lose  sight  of  the  end  for  which 
your  privileges  are  made  so  ample,  nor  forego  the  happiness  of 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  151 

doing  the  best  in  your  power  at  every  stage  of  your  journey,  so 
that  whenever  you  may  be  called  hence,  you  may  feel  that  you 
are  ready,  and  that  your  work  is  done.  It  will  not  do  for  me  to 
rely  upon  my  every-day  firmness  to  secure  me  against  attacks  of 
the  kind  last  experienced.  I  do  most  fervently  desire  to  be  kept 
in  mind  of  my  exposure,  and  never  for  an  hour  forget  that  it  may 
be  my  last." 

Several  passages  in  Mr.  Lawrence's  letters  will  show 
the  attachment  which  he  felt  towards  the  place  of  his 
birth,  connected  as  it  was  with  so  many  associations 
and  memories  of  the  past.  The  old  house,  with  the 
great  elm  in  front  and  its  welcome  shade  ;  the  green 
meadow,  stretching  for  a  mile  along  a  gentle  declivity 
to  the  river  ;  the  range  of  mountains  in  the  west,  just 
distant  enough  to  afford  that  tinge  of  blue  which  adds 
an  indescribable  charm  to  every  landscape  ;  the  grace 
ful  undulations  of  the  hills  on  the  east,  with  the  quiet 
village  sleeping  at  their  base,  all  seemed  in  his  mind  so 
associated  with  the  loved  inmates  of  his  early  home, 
that  he  ever  contemplated  the  picture  with  delight. 

On  June  4,  in  a  letter  to  his  sisters,  he  writes  : 

"  R.  leaves  us  this  morning,  on  his  way  to  the  old  homestead, 
which,  to  my  mind's  eye,  has  all  the  charms  of  the  most  lovely 
associations  of  early  days,  with  all  the  real  beauty  of  those  splen 
did  descriptions  given  by  the  prophets  of  the  holy  city.  I  would 
earnestly  impress  all  my  children  with  a  deep  sense  of  the  beauty 
and  benefit  of  cherishing  and  cultivating  a  respect  and  affection 


152  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

for  this  dear  spot,  and  for  those  more  dear  objects  that  have 
served  to  make  it  what  it  really  is  to  all  us  children." 

In  a  letter  to  his  son,  whose  visit  is  alluded  to 
above,  he  says  : 

"  The  beautiful  scenery  from  Gibbet  Hill,  in  Groton,  and  from 
the  road  from  our  old  mansion  south  for  a  mile,  towards  the 
Wachusett  and  the  Monadnock  Mountains,  comes  next,  in  point  of 
beauty,  to  my  taste,  to  these  views  around  the  Boston  Common. 
Be  careful  to  do  all  things  as  you  will  wish  you  had  done,  that 
you  may  look  back  upon  this  visit  with  pleasure,  and  forward  to 
another  visit  with  increased  relish.  Remember  that  in  the  best 
performance  of  all  your  duties  lies  the  highest  enjoyment  of  all 
your  pleasures.  Those  pleasures  that  flow  from  plans  and  doings 
that  your  conscience  condemns  are  to  be  shunned  as  the  net  of 
the  wicked  one.  When  once  entangled,  the  desire  and  effort  to 
be  released  grow  weaker,  till,  at  length,  conscience  is  put  asleep, 
and  the  sleep  of  death  comes  over  the  soul.  Be  careful,  there 
fore,  to  avoid  evil,  and  not  only  so,  but  to  avoid  all  appearance 
of  evil.  In  this  way,  you  will  grow  up  with  principles  and 
fixed  habits  that  will  secure  you  against  the  ills  of  life,  and 
supply  a  foretaste  of  the  enjoyments  of  a  better  life  to  come." 

During  a  visit  which  he  made  to  his  early  home  a 
few  months  subsequent  to  the  date  of  the  preceding 
extract,  he  writes  to  his  daughter  : 

"  I  was  very  tired  on  arriving  here  last  evening,  but  a  quiet 
sleep  has  brought  me  into  my  best  state. 

"  This  morning  has  allowed  me  to  ride  for  two  hours,  and  I 
have  enjoyed  everything  and  everybody  here  to  the  utmost. 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  153 

Groton  is  beautiful  beyond  any  other  place  I  have  ever  seen  ;  but 

perhaps  I  am  in  the  situation  of  old  Mr. ,  whose  opinion  of 

his  wife's  beauty,  when  questioned  of  its  accuracy,  was  justified 
by  the  declaration  that  the  person  must  have  his  eyes  to  look 
through. 

' '  The  whole  country  is  full  of  charms ;  nothing  seems  wanting 
to  impress  upon  the  heart  the  goodness  of  that  Parent  who  seeks 
by  all  means  to  bring  us  nearer  to  himself. 

"  This  visit  has  been  full  of  interest,  and  it  is  a  source  of 
unfeigned  thanksgiving  that  it  has  been  permitted  to  me." 

Mr.  Lawrence  always  took  great  delight  in  sending 
to  friends  and  relatives,  little  and  great,  mementoes  of 
his  affection ;  and  a  great  deal  of  time  was  spent  in 
penning  and  reading  the  letters  and  notes  which  such 
transactions  called  forth.  He  had  a  rare  faculty  of 
adapting  his  gift  to  the  peculiar  necessities  or  tastes 
of  the  recipient ;  and,  whether  the  matter  treated  of 
was  a  check  for  thousands  or  a  bouquet  of  flowers, 
equal  pleasure  seemed  to  be  given  and  received.  In 
sending  a  gift  of  the  former  description,  he  notices  the 
commencement  of  the  year  1840  as  follows  : 

"  January  1. 

"  DEAR  S. :  W.  will  prize  the  enclosed  more  highly  from  your 
hand  ;  for  he  will  have  proof  that  a  good  wife  brings  many  bless 
ings,  that  he  never  would  know  the  value  of  but  for  you.  May 
you  experience  many  returns  of  the  l  new  year,'  and  each  more 

happy  than  the  past !  " 
20 


154  DIARY     AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

In  a  letter  to  his  second  son,  then  on  a  visit  to 
Europe,  he  writes,  under  date  of  March  5,  1840  : 

"  We  are  all  curious  to  know  what  impressions  your  visit  to 
France  and  Italy  produces,  and  still  more  what  impressions  a 
careful  overlooking  of  our  fatherland  makes  upon  you.  There  is 
much  food  for  reflection,  and  abundant  material  for  the  exercise 
of  your  powers  of  observation,  in  every  league  of  the  l  fast- 
anchored  isle,'  especially  in  the  scenes  so  beautifully  portrayed  in 
many  of  the  books  we  have  access  to.  In  fact,  I  have  an  exten 
sive  collection  of  materials  to  renew  your  travels  and  observa 
tions,  and  shall  value  them  more  highly  when  you  point  out  this 
or  that  seat  or  castle  or  abbey,  which  has  arrested  your  notice. 
But  the  best  scenes  will  be  those  in  which  the  living  souls  of  the 
present  day  are  engaged.  The  habits  and  tastes  of  the  people  of 
England  have  doubtless  much  changed  since  the  Spectator  days ; 
but,  in  many  important  particulars,  I  should  hope  they  had  not. 
Some  thirty  years  ago,  I  had  a  good  specimen  of  the  feelings  and 
principles  of  a  great  variety  of  people,  embracing  almost  all 
classes,  from  the  year  1774  to  1776,  in  a  multitude  of  letters 
that  had  accumulated  in  the  post-office  in  this  town,  under 
Tuthill  Hubbart.  After  his  death,  his  house  was  pulled  down ; 
and,  among  the  strange  things  found  in  it,  were  bushels  of  letters, 
of  which  I  was  permitted  to  take  what  I  pleased.  These  letters 
showed  a  deeper  religious  feeling  in  the  writers  of  those  days, 
from  England,  Ireland,  and  Scotland,  than  I  have  seen  in  any 
miscellaneous  collections  of  a  later  date.  If  that  deep-toned 
piety  which  pervaded  them  has  not  been  extinguished  by  the 
Jacobinism  and  freethinking  of  later  days,  happy  for  the  people 
and  the  government !  But  I  fear  it  has,  in  some  great  measure, 
been  blotted  out  or  obscured,  as  there  seems  to  be  a  spirit  of 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  155 

reckless  adventure  in  politics  and  religion  not  contemplated 
seventy  years  ago.  How  far  our  experience  in  self-government 
in  this  country  is  going  to  advance  the  cause  of  good  govern 
ment,  and  the  ultimate  happiness  of  man,  is  yet  a  problem.  Our 
principles  are  of  the  most  elevating  character ;  our  practices  under 
them,  of  the  most  debasing;  and,  if  we  continue  in  this  way 
another  generation,  there  will  not  be  virtue  enough  in  active  use 
to  save  the  forms  of  our  government.  We  may  hope  that  a  better 
heart  may  be  given  us." 

In  a  letter  to  his  son-in-law,  the  Rev.  Charles  Mason, 
who  was  at  that  time  in  company  with  his  own  son  on 
a  visit  to  England,  he  writes  on  June  28th,  1840  : 

" I  intended  to  defer  writing  until  to-morrow  morning;  but  the 
beauty  of  the  western  scenery  and  sunset  is  so  striking,  that  I  am 
strongly  impelled  to  tell  you  that,  much  as  you  see,  and  highly 
as  you  enjoy  the  scenes  of  old  England,  there  is  nothing  there 
more  beautiful  and  sublime  than  this  very  scene  from  my  chamber 
windows.  It  seems  as  though  nature  never  was  so  beautifully 
dressed  at  this  time  of  the  year  as  at  present.  The  season  has 
been  unusually  favorable  for  the  foliage,  fruits,  and  flowers  ;  and 
all  around  bears  evidence  of  that  goodness  that  never  rests,  and  in 
my  own  person  I  feel  that  I  am  enjoying  in  a  month  what  ought 
to  content  me  for  a  year." 

The  foregoing  extract  is  selected  from  among  many 
others  of  a  similar  nature,  as  an  illustration  of  Mr. 
Lawrence's  appreciation  of  the  beauties  of  natural 
scenery. 


156  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  day,  his  favorite  seat  was 
at  a  window,  from  which  he  could  witness  the  glories 
of  the  setting  sun,  and,  still  later,  the  fading  beauties 
of  the  twilight.  Nature  to  him  was  no  sealed  volume  ; 
and  with  her,  in  all  her  phases,  he  loved  to  commune. 

The  gorgeous  hues  of  the  western  sky,  the  chang 
ing  tints  of  the  autumnal  foliage,  and  the  smiling 
features  of  the  landscape,  were  in  his  mind  typical 
of  the  more  resplendent  beauties  of  the  future  world. 
He  writes  : 

"To-day  is  one  of  those  holy  spring  days  which  make  us  feel 
that,  with  right  principles  and  conduct,  we  may  enjoy  a  foretaste 
of  that  beautiful  home  we  all  long  for.  I  have  been  over  the 
Roxbury  and  Dorchester  hills,  which  are  a  transcript  of  the 
beautiful  scenery  around  Jerusalem.  Mount  Zion  seemed  before 
me,  and  by  stretching  my  arms,  I  could  almost  fly  upon  its  sides." 

He  loved  to  think  that  the  spirits  of  the  departed 
may  be  permitted  to  hover  around,  and  minister  to  those 
whom  they  have  once  loved  on  earth  ;  and  sometimes, 
as  he  viewed  nature  in  her  softer  moods,  he  would 
imagine  himself  as  holding  communion  with  former 
cherished  objects  of  affection.  He  writes  to  a  friend  : 

"  Dear  S.  and  R.  speak  in  words  without  sounds,  through  every 
breeze  and  in  every  flower,  and  in  the  fragrance  of  every  perfume 
from  the  field  or  the  trees." 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  157 

And  again : 

"  Is  there  anything  in  Scripture  to  discourage  the  belief  that 
the  spirits  of  departed  friends  are  still  ministering  spirits  to  such 
as  are  left  here,  and  that  a  recognition  and  reunion  will  follow 
when  we  are  called  off?  I  believe  fully  in  this  happy  reunion  ; 
and  it  is,  next  to  the  example  of  the  beloved,  the  most  animating 
feeling  that  prompts  me  through  this  wearisome  journey." 

To  a  friend  who  had  invited  him  to  pay  her  a  visit  at 
her  residence  in  the  country,  he  writes  : 

"  N says  I  am  like  a  child  in  the  matter  of  the  visit,  asd 

would  be  as  much  disappointed  if  it  should  not  be  accomplished ; 
and  I  must  admit  that  I  am  guilty  of  this  weakness.  There  are 
so  many  loved  ones  on  the  old  spot,  so  many  lessons  to  be  reviewed, 
and  so  many  friends  '  passed  on,'  whose  spirits  surround  and  fill 
the  place  with  the  peculiar  halo  and  charm  of  the  good  angels 
(those  ministering  spirits  in  whose  company  we  may  ever  find 
comfort,  if  we  will  think  so).  I  say,  with  all  these  things,  can  I 
be  blamed  for  being  a  child  in  this  matter  ?  You  will  all  say  No, 
and  will  love  me  the  better  for  it." 

On  the  anniversary  of  his  commencing  his  business, 
Dec.  17,  Mr.  Lawrence,  as  usual,  reviews  his  past  life 
and  mercies,  and  adds  : 

"  My  daily  aspirations  are  for  wisdom  and  integrity  to  do  what 
is  required  of  me ;  but  the  excuses  for  omissions,  and  the 
hidden  promptings  of  pride  or  selfishness  in  the  sins  of  com 
mission,  take  away  all  confidence  that  all  is  done  as  it  should  be. 


158  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

I  am  in  the  enjoyment  of  as  much  as  belongs  to  our  condition 
here.  Wife,  children,  and  friends,  those  three  little  blessings  that 
were  spared  to  us  after  the  fall,  impart  enjoyment  that  makes  my 
home  as  near  a  heaven  on  earth  as  is  allowed  to  mortals. 

"  Dec.  23.  —  This  morning  has  been  clear  and  beautiful,  and  I 
have  enjoyed  it  highly.  Have  been  sleigh-riding  with  Chancellor 
Kent.  Went  over  to  Bunker  Hill  Monument,  and  around  by  the 
river-side  to  Charlestown  Neck,  and  had  a  regular  old-fashioned 
talk  with  him.  He  gave  me  an  account  of  the  scenes  which 
occurred  where  he  was  studying,  in  Connecticut,  when  the  news 
came  of  the  Lexington  fight.  As  we  parted,  he  promised  to  come 
again  in  the  spring,  take  another  ride,  and  resume  the  conversation. 
He  leaves  for  New  York  at  three  o'clock,  and  is  as  bright  and 
lively  as  a  boy,  though  seventy-eight  years  old.  The  old  gentle 
man  attends  to  all  his  own  affairs,  had  walked  around  the  city  this 
morning  some  miles,  been  to  the  Providence  Railroad  Depot  for  his 
ticket,  overlooked  divers  bookstores,  and  so  forth.  He  is  very 
interesting,  and  has  all  the  simplicity  of  a  child." 

About  this  time,  also,  Mr.  Lawrence  seems  to  have 
had  pleasant  intercourse  with  the  Chevalier  Hulsemann, 
the  Austrian  Minister,  so  well  known  by  his  corres 
pondence  with  Mr.  Webster  when  the  latter  was 
Secretary  of  State.  The  minister  was  on  a  visit  to 
Boston,  and,  from  the  correspondence  which  ensued, 
seems  to  have  conceived  a  high  regard  for  Mr. 
Lawrence,  expressed  in  very  kind  and  courteous 
terms ;  and  this  regard  seems  to  have  been  fully 
reciprocated. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  159 

"April  1,  1841.  —  S.  K,  of  T.,  an  apprentice  on  board  the 
United  States  ship  '  Columbus,'  in  this  harbor,  thirteen  years  old, 
whom  I  picked  up  intoxicated  in  Beacon-street  a  month  ago,  and 
to  whom  I  gave  some  books,  with  request  to  call  and  see  me  when 
on  shore,  came  to-day,  and  appears  very  well.  Gave  him  a 
Testament  and  some  good  counsel. 

"  June  6.  —  G.  M.  called  to  sell  a.  lot  of  sermons  called  the 

,  which  he  said  he  caused  to  be  published  to  do  good ;  he 

repeated  it  so  often  that  I  doubted  him.  He  seems  to  me  a 
wooden  nutmeg  fellow,  although  he  has  the  Rev.  Mr.  -  — 's 
certificate." 

The  preceding  entry  is  given  here  merely  as  a 
sample  of  many  such  which  are  found  in  Mr.  Law 
rence's  diary.  Few  who  have  not  had  the  like 
experience  can  estimate  the  annoyance  to  which  his 
reputation  for  benevolence  and  well-doing  subjected 
him,  in  the  shape  of  applications  for  aid  in  every 
imaginable  form.  His  perceptions  were  naturally 
acute  ;  and  a  long  experience  and  intercourse  with  men 
enabled  him  to  .form,  at  a  single  glance,  a  pretty  fair 
estimate  of  the  merits  of  the  applicant.  He  may 
sometimes  have  judged  precipitately,  and  perhaps 
harshly  ;  but,  when  he  discovered  that  he  had  done  so, 
no  one  could  have  been  more  ready  to  confess  his  fault 
and  make  reparation.  A  few  years  after  this  time,  the 
annoyance  became  so  serious,  from  the  number  and 
character  of  the  applicants,  that  he  felt  obliged,  on 
account  of  ill-health,  to  deny  himself  to  all,  unless 
personally  known  to  him,  or  accredited  by  some  one 


160  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

in  whose  statement  he  had  confidence.  Further  than 
this,  he  was  confirmed  in  his  decision  by  actual  abuse 
which  had  occasionally  been  administered  to  him  by 
disappointed  candidates  for  charitable  aid.  He  kept 
upon  his  table  a  small  memorandum-book,  in  which 
he  recorded  the  names  of  those  who  sought  aid,  with 
their  business,  and  often  their  age,  the  age  and  number 
of  their  children,  sometimes  facts  in  their  past  history, 
and  any  other  information  which  could  enable  him  to 
form  an  opinion  of  their  claim  upon  him  for  assistance. 
He  sometimes  indulges  also  in  somewhat  quaint  remarks 
respecting  those  who  apply,  or  the  manner  in  which 
they  have  presented  their  application. 

To  the  Eev.  Kobert  Turnbull,  a  Baptist  clergyman 
then  settled  in  Boston,  and  who  had  sent  to  Mr.  Law 
rence  a  copy  of  his  work  entitled  "  Claims  of  Jesus/' 
he  writes  under  date  of  Nov.  2  : 

"  REV.  AND  DEAR  SIR  :  I  thank  you  for  the  little  volume  so 
kindly  presented,  and  deem  it  the  duty  of  all  the  friends  of  the 
Saviour  to  do  what  they  can  to  stop  the  flood  of  infidelity  and 
atheism  that  threatens  such  waste  and  devastation  among  us. 
However  we  may  seem  to  be,  I  trust  many  may  be  found,  in  the 
ranks  of  my  Unitarian  friends,  who  admit  the  '  claims  of  Jesus ' 
in  their  most  elevated  character,  and  who  repudiate  the  doctrine 
of  those  who  sink  him  to  the  level  of  a  mere  human  teacher,  as 
subversive  of  his  authority  and  as  nullifying  his  teachings.  We 
take  the  record,  and  what  is  clearly  declared ;  we  do  not  go 
behind,  even  though  we  do  not  clearly  comprehend  it.  It  gives 


DIARY     AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  161 

me  pleasure  to  learn  you  are  so  well  recovered  from  the  injury 
you  received  from  the  overturn  of  your  carriage  near  my  house. 
"  With  great  respect,  believe  me  truly  yours,  A.  L." 

"  January,  1842.  — This  year  opens  with  renewed  calls  upon 
me  to  bless  God  for  his  mercies  throughout  its  course.  My 
family  circle  has  not  been  broken  by  the  death  of  any  one  of  our 
whole  number,  and  my  own  health  has  been  better  for  the  last 
half-year  than  for  five  years  before.  I  have  not  had  occasion  to 
call  a  physician  through  the  year.  My  brothers  A.  and  W.  have 
been  dangerously  sick,  but  are  happily  recovered ;  and  both  feel, 
I  believe,  that  their  hold  on  life  is  not  as  firm  as  they  have  felt  it 
to  be  in  former  years.  My  dear  children  are  growing  up  around 
me  to  bless  and  comfort  me  ;  and  all  I  need  is  a  right  understand 
ing  of  my  duties,  and  a  sincere  purpose  to  fulfil  them.  I  hope  to 
have  the  will  to  continue  them  in  as  faithful  a  manner  as  hereto 
fore,  to  say  the  least." 

Among  the  traits  in  Mr.  Lawrence's  character  was 
that  enlarged  spirit  of  Christian  feeling  which  enabled 
him  to  appreciate  goodness  in  others,  without  refer 
ence  to  sect  or  denomination.  This  spirit  of  universal 
brotherhood  was  not  in  him  a  matter  of  mere  theory, 
but  was  carried  out  in  the  practice  of  daily  life,  and 
was  the  means  of  cementing  many  and  lasting  friend 
ships,  especially  among  the  clergy  of  various  denomi 
nations  around  him.  It  may  not  be  uninteresting  in 
future  years,  for  those  now  in  childhood,  for  whom  this 
volume  has  been  prepared,  to  be  reminded  of  the  strong 
feeling  of  sympathy  and  affection  which  their  grand- 
21 


162  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

father  entertained  for  the  Rev.  John  S.  Stone,  D.D., 
once  the  Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  in  Boston,  and 
now  the  Rector  of  St.  Paul's,  in  Brookline,  Mass.  The 
following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  that 
gentleman  from  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  during  the  year  1842, 
with  a  memorandum  endorsed  by  Mr.  Lawrence,  dated 
October,  1847,  in  which  he  says  : 

"  This  letter  was  very  interesting  to  me  when  received.  I  kept 
it  in  my  pocket-book  with  qne  from  Judge  Story,  which  he  had 

requested  me  to  keep  for  my  children.     While  son was  in 

Europe,  I  did  not  expect  to  live  but  a  short  time,  and  sent  him 
the  two  letters,  as  the  proper  person  to  keep  them  for  the  use  of 
his  children." 

The  letter  commences  by  strong  expressions  of 
affection  and  regard,  over  which  Mr.  Lawrence's 
modesty  had  induced  him  to  paste  a  slip  of  paper, 
endorsed  as  follows  :  c  {  Personal  matters  between  the 
writer  and  myself,  covered  up  here,  and  not  to  be  read 
by  any  of  the  friends  to  whom  I  may  show  this  letter." 
The  letter  continues  as  follows  : 

"  Shall  I  ever  forget  the  happy  moments,  hours,  days,  I  may 
say  weeks,  which  I  have  spent  in  riding  with  you,  and  chatting, 
as  we  rode,  of  all  things  as  we  passed  them,  till  I  seemed  to 
myself  to  be  living  in  the  by-gone  days  of  Boston  and  its  neigh 
borhood  ;  and  all  its  old  families,  houses,  names,  and  anecdotes, 
became  as  familiar  to  my  mind  as  the  stories  of  my  boyhood  ? 
Can  I  forget  it  all  ?  I  trow  not.  These  things  are  all  blended 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  163 

in  with  the  beautiful  scenery  through  which  we  used  to  ride,  and 
associated  with  those  graver  lessons  and  reflections  which  you 
used  to  give  me ;  insomuch  that  the  picture  which  my  memory 
letains  of  nature,  society,  history,  and  feeling,  truth,  friendship, 
and  religion,  and  in  which  Boston  and  the  living  friends  there  are 
comprehended,  has  become  "imperishable.  It  never  can  fade  out 
of  my  mind.  It  is  a  picture  in  which  man  has  done  much, 
friendship  more,  religion  most,  and  God  all ;  for  religion  is  his, 
and  friendship  is  from  him,  and  man  is  his  creature,  and  the  green 
earth  and  glorious  heavens  are  his  home.  There  are  many,  very 
many,  objects  in  this  picture,  which  I  contemplate  with  special 
delight ;  and  few  which  give  me  pain,  or  which  I  would  not  have 
had  there,  had  the  whole  ordering  of  its  composition  been  left  to 
me.  Indeed,  had  this  whole  ordering  been  left  to  me,  it  may 
well  be  doubted  whether,  as  a  whole,  it  would  have  contained 
half  of  the  beautiful  and  blessed  things  which  it  now  contains. 
Taking  it  as  it  is,  therefore,  I  am  well  content  to  receive  it,  hang 
it  up  in  the  choicest  apartment  of  my  memory,  and  keep  it  clean 
and  in  good  order  for  use."  *  *  * 

As  an  illustration  of  the  pleasant  intercourse  alluded 
to  above,  among  Mr.  Lawrence's  papers  is  found 
another  most  friendly  letter  from  the  Kev.  Henry 
Ware,  jun.,  dated  a  few  days  afterwards,  with  the 
following  endorsement : 

"  I  went  on  Friday  to  Mr.  "Ware's  house,  and  had  a  free,  full, 
and  deeply-interesting  conversation  upon  the  appointment  of  his 
successor ;  and  was  delighted  to  find  him  with  the  same  views  I 
have  upon  the  necessity  of  removing  the  theological  department 
from  Cambridge." 


164  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

Dec.  2,  Mr.  Lawrence  alludes  to  the  probability  of 
his  own  death  taking  place  in  the  manner  in  which  it 
actually  occurred  ten  years  afterwards,  as  follows  : 

"  Yesterday  I  was  very  well,  and  have  been  so  for  some  time 
past.  Experienced  a  severe  ill  turn  this  morning  at  five  o'clock, 
more  so  than  for  years. '  This  check  brings  me  back  to  the  reflec 
tion  that,  when  I  feel  the  best,  I  am  most  likely  to  experience 
one  of  my  ill  turns ;  some  one  of  which  will  probably  end  iny 
journey  in  this  life.  God  grant  me  due  preparation  for  the  next ! " 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

REFLECTIONS.  — LETTERS.  — ACCOUNT    OF   EFFORTS    TO    COMPLETE 
BUNKER  HILL  MONUMENT. 

IN  the  memorandum-book  of  property  for  1843  is 
found  the  usual  estimate  and  list  of  expenditures ; 
after  which  Mr.  Lawrence  writes  as  follows  : 

"  My  outlay  for  other  objects  than  my  own  family,  for  the  last 

fourteen  years,  has  been dollars,  which  sum  I  esteem  better 

invested  than  if  in  bond  and  mortgage  in  the  city ;  and  I  have 
reason  to  believe  many  have  been  comforted  and  assisted  by  it, 
and  its  influence  will  be  good  on  those  who  follow  me.  God  grant 
me  grace  to  be  faithful  to  my  trust !  " 

To  Hon.  R.  C.  Winthrop,  Member  of  Congress,  at 
Washington,  enclosing  a  letter  from  a  young  colored 
man : 

"  BOSTON,  Feb.  15,  1843. 

"DEAR  SIR:  This  young  man,  as  you  will  observe  by  his 
style,  is  well  educated ;  and  the  circumstances  he  states,  I  have 
no  doubt,  are  true.  He  applied  to  me,  about  two  years  since,  for 
employment  in  writing  or  other  business,  to  obtain  means  for 
further  education ;  and  I  interested  myself  to  secure  to  him  what 
was  required.  A  few  months  since,  he  started  from  here  to  go  to 
Jamaica,  to  commence  the  practice  of  law,  and  was  supplied  by 

165 


166  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

those  who  had  taken  an  interest  in  him  with  a  library  suited  to 
his  wants.  He  received  his  early  education  in  Indiana ;  and  his 
parents  were  once  slaves.  He  is  a  handsome  colored  fellow, 
better-mannered,  better-looking,  and  more  to  be  respected,  than 
many  young  gentlemen  who  move  in  the  higher  walks  of  life, 
either  in  Carolina  or  Massachusetts.  Now,  I  should  like  to  know, 
if  he  should  be  admitted  as  an  attorney  to  practice  in  our  courts, 
and  should  take  passage  for  Jamaica,  and  put  into  Charleston, 
would  he  be  imprisoned,  as  is  now  the  practice  in  regard  to  our 
black  sailors  ?  I  feel  a  much  stronger  desire  to  see  your  report 
upon  this  subject  of  imprisoning  our  colored  people,  after  the 
unfair  course  taken  by  the  majority  of  your  house  to  smother  it ; 
and  I  hope  still  to  see  it  in  print  before  the  adjournment.  I 
would  further  remark,  that  N.  T.  is  a  member  of  Grace  Church 
in  this  city,  I  believe,  under  the  care  of  Rev.  T.  M.  Clark ;  and 
would,  doubtless,  bear  affliction,  if  it  should  ever  be  his  fortune  to 
be  afflicted  by  being  imprisoned  because  his  skin  is  dark,  with  a 
spirit  becoming  his  profession.  With  great  respect  and  esteem, 
believe  me  very  truly  yours,  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 

(TO  HIS  SISTER.) 

"  BOSTON,  April  19,  1843. 

"  DEAR  SISTER  M. :  When  I  heard  a  gun  this  morning,  I  was 
immediately  transported  back  in  imagination  to  the  19th  of  April, 
1775,  when  our  grandmother  retreated  from  her  house  on  the 
roadside  in  Concord,  with  her  family,  to  keep  out  of  the  way  of 
the  c  regulars ; '  and  that  day  and  its  scenes,  as  described,  came 
back  upon  me  with  a  force  which  kept  me  awake  in  considering 
whether  the  gun  was  fired  to  recall  the  facts  to  the  people  of  this 
day ;  and,  if  recalled,  whether  we  can  profit  by  the  events  which 
followed.  I  found,  however,  on  receiving  my  newspapers,  that  the 
gun  was  not  for  commemoration  of  Lexington  and  Concord,  but 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  167 

to  announce  the  arrival  of  the  British  steamer  from  Liverpool. 
The  news  by  this  steamer  is  of  no  more  than  common  interest ; 
and  the  intercourse  is  now  so  easy  and  rapid,  that  the  interest  felt 
to  learn  what  is  passing  in  Europe  is  not  much  greater  than  we 
used  to  feel  on  Call's  stage-coach  arriving  at  Groton  from  Boston 
once  a  week,  fifty  years  ago.  The  changes  within  my  own  recollec 
tion  are  such  as  almost  to  make  me  distrust  my  own  senses ;  and 
many  of  the  changes  are  at  the  cost  of  much  good.  The  down 
hill  tendency  in  the  standard  of  character  is  a  bad  sign,  and 
threatens  the  prostration  of  our  political  fabric.  Built  as  it  is  on 
the  virtue  and  intelligence  of  the  people,  every  waste  of  these 
endangers  the  stability  of  the  whole  structure." 

"  April  24. — I  resume,  though  not  in  the  same  train  of 
thought,  which  is  slept  off.  My  birth-day  has  passed  since  then  ; 
and  I  am  now  in  my  fifty-eighth  year.  This  is  the  birth-day  of 
our  father,  who  would  have  been  eighty-nine  if  living ;  and  this 
week  on  Saturday  will  also  complete  thirty-six  years  since  I  left 
home  to  spend  a  few  months  in  this  city,  preparatory  to  my  com 
mencing  business  in  Groton.  Here  I  have  continued ;  and  the 
consequences  to  our  family  seem  to  have  stamped  upon  us  such 
marks  as  make  us  objects  of  influence,  for  good  or  evil,  to  a  much 
greater  extent  than  if  I  had  returned  to  commence  my  business 
career  in  my  native  town.  I  view  in  this  a  hand  pointing 
upward, — '  Seek  me  and  ye  shall  find,' —  and  a  caution  to  us  to 
use  without  abusing  the  good  things  intrusted  to  us.  How  hard 
it  is  for  those  in  prosperity  to  bring  home  to  their  feelings  their 
dependence,  their  abuse  of  their  privileges,  their  desires  for  objects 
wholly  disproportionate  to  their  value,  their  anxiety  about  trifles, 
while  they  are  so  utterly  careless  and  indifferent  about  those  of 
the  highest  moment !  How  we  strive  unceasingly  to  secure  objects 
that  can,  at  best,  give  us  but  a  slight  reward,  and,  in  many  cases, 


168  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

if  attained  to  the  full  extent  of  our  hopes,  only  serve  to  sharpen 
our  appetite  for  more ;  thus  demonstrating  the  benevolence  of  our 
heavenly  Father  in  removing  these  obstacles  to  our  progress  in  the 
ways  and  works  of  godliness  !  How  important,  then,  for  us  to  see 
a  Father's  hand  in  the  disappointments,  not  less  than  in  the 
success,  of  our  plans  !  I  now  speak  practically  of  those  anxieties 
which  I  feel  and  condemn  myself  for,  in  looking  forward  to  the 
condition  of  my  family.  This  is  all  wrong ;  and  I  pray  God  to 
pardon  me  the  want  of  faith  this  feeling  implies. 

"  I  have  thought  much  of  your  account  of  Mrs.  N.  going  out, 
on  the  Sabbath  after  her  husband's  death,  with  her  nine  children. 
I  remember  her,  and  many  others  of  my  youthful  schoolmates, 
with  interest  and  regard.  Please  say  so  to  her.  And  now,  dear 
M.,  as  the  clouds  seem  thinner,  I  may  hope  to  secure  a  little  run, 
and  shall  take  the  post-office  in  my  way;  so  must  bid  you  adieu." 

(TO  GENERAL  .) 

"  May  5,  1843. 

"MY  DEAR  OLD  GENERAL:  Our  anticipated  drive  to-day  is 
not  to  be  :  the  weather  settles  it  that  I  must  keep  house ;  and,  to 
indemnify  myself  for  the  disappointment,  will  you  allow  me  to 
feel  that  I  have  not  gone  too  far  in  requesting  you  to  receive  the 
enclosed  check  ?  I  am  spared  here  for  some  object,  and  do  not 
feel  that  to  hoard  money  is  that  object.  While  I  am  in  the 
receipt  of  an  income  so  ample,  I  find  it  sometimes  troublesome  to 
invest  exactly  to  my  mind.  In  the  present  case,  the  hope  that 
you  may,  by  using  this,  add  something  to  your  enjoyment,  makes 
ine  feel  that  it  is  one  of  my  best  investments  ;  and  for  the  reason 
that  your  proverbial  good-will  cannot  refuse  me  such  a  boon,  I 
have  made  this  request.  My  heart  yearns  strongly  toward  the 
old-fashioned  John  Jay  school  in  politics  and  morals :  and,  when  I 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  169 

have  an  opportunity  to  minister  in  any  way  to  one  of  the  early 
members,  it  is  a  pleasure  that  sweetens  my  days  as  they  pass." 

On  the  letter  written  in  reply  to  the  above,  Mr. 
Lawrence  has  endorsed  : 

"  This  letter  from  old  General  -  — ,  now  eighty-eight  years 
old,  and  blind,  is  an  acknowledgment  of  some  little  kindnesses  I 
was  enabled  to  render  through  the  hand  of  Judge  Story.  It  has 
afforded  me  more  pleasure  than  it  could  have  done  either  the 
Judge  or  the  General.  I  am  sure  the  good  old  man's  feelings 
were  gratified ;  and  I  am  thankful  that  I  could  comfort  him." 

On  the  17th  of  June,  1843,  took  place  the  celebra 
tion  in  honor  of  the  completion  of  the  Bunker  Hill 
Monument ;  an  event  which  was  regarded  with  no 
ordinary  emotions  by  Mr.  Lawrence,  after  so  many 
years  of  effort  and  expectation.  His  only  regret  was 
that  the  whole  battle-field  could  not  have  been  pre 
served,  and  have  remained,  to  use  his  own  words,  "  a 
field-preacher  for  posterity."  Eleven  years  before  this, 
he  had  written  to  his  son  in  Europe  : 

"If  we  be  true  to  ourselves,  our  city  is  destined  to  be  the 
Athens  of  America,  and  the  hallowed  spots  in  our  neighborhood 
to  be  the  objects  of  interest  throughout  all  future  time.  In  this 
view,  I  would  never  permit  a  foot  of  the  battle-field  of  Bunker  Hill 
to  be  alienated  ;  but  keep  it  for  your  great-great-grandchildren,  as 
a  legacy  of  patriotism  worth  more  than  their  portion  of  it,  if 
covered  with  gold  by  measure.  Until  you  are  older,  I  do  not 
expect  you  to  feel  as  I  do  on  this  subject." 
22 


170  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

This  would  seem  to  be  the  proper  place  to  mention 
a  few  facts  in  regard  to  Mr.  Lawrence's  agency  in 
securing  the  completion  of  the  monument.  It  has 
already  been  mentioned  that  he  was  one  of  the  earliest 
friends  of  the  project  to  erect  a  monument,  and,  in 
1825,  had  been  placed  upon  the  Standing  Committee 
of  Directors,  with  full  powers  to  manage  the  affairs  of 
the  Association.  In  September,  1831,  in  a  letter  to 
his  friend,  Dr.  J.  C.  Warren,  who  himself  had  been  one 
of  the  warmest  and  most  efficient  advocates  of  the 
measure,  he  proposed  to  subscribe  five  thousand  dollars, 
on  condition  that  fifty  thousand  dollars  should  be  raised 
within  one  year.  The  following  passage  occurs  in  that 
letter  : 

"  I  think  it  inexpedient  to  allude  to  the  sale  of  the  land  on 
Bunker  Hill,  as  a  resource  for  paying  the  debt,  except  in  case  of 
extreme  necessity ;  and,  at  this  time,  I  should  personally  sooner 
vote  to  sell  ten  acres  of  the  Common,  in  front  of  my  house,  to  pay 
the  city  debt  (of  Boston),  than  vote  to  sell  the  ten  acres  on 
Bunker  Hill,  until  it  shall  appear  that  our  citizens  will  not 
contribute  the  means  of  saving  it." 

The  proposition  thus  made  was  not  responded  to  by 
the  public.*  As  early  as  December,  1830,  he  had 

made  provision  by  his  will,  in  case  of  his  own  death, 

• 

*  For  a  history  of  the  Bunker  Hill  Monument,  see  an  article  in  collec 
tions  of  "Maine  Historical  Society,"  vol.  iii.,  by  Professor  Packard,  of 
Bowdoin  College. 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  171 

to  secure  the  battle-field,  liquidate  the  debts  of  the 
corporation,  and  complete  the  monument.  These  pro 
visions  were  superseded  by  another  will,  executed 
April  1,  1833,  after  his  health  had  failed,  so  as  to 
forbid  active  participation  in  affairs.  An  Extract  from 
this  document  will  show  the  views  of  the  testator : 

"  I  am  of  opinion  that  the  land  owned  by  the  Bunker  Hill 
Monument  Association,  in  Charlestown,  will  be  of  great  value  to 
posterity,  if  left  as  public  ground.  The  spot  is  the  most  interest 
ing  in  the  country ;  and  it  seems  to  me  it  is  calculated  to  impress 
the  feelings  of  those  who  come  after  us  with  gratitude  to  the 
people  of  this  generation,  if  we  preserve  it  to  them.  The  whole 
field  contains  about  fifteen  acres ;  and,  in  the  hope  of  preserving 
it  entire,  either  as  the  property  of  the  State,  of  this  city,  or  of 
any  other  competent  body,  and  with  the  further  view  of  insuring 
the  completion  of  the  monument,  which  now  stands  as  a  reproach 
to  us,  I  have  set  apart  a  larger  share  of  my  property  than  would 
be  necessary,  had  not  the  subject  been  presented  to  the  public 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  discourage  future  attempts  at  raising  the 
necessary  funds  by  voluntary  contribution." 

The  amount  thus  devised  for  the  monument,  in  case 
that  amount  should  not  be  raised  in  other  ways,  was 
fifty  thousand  dollars.  In  June,  1832,  before  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  Bunker  Hill  Monument  Associa 
tion,  the  same  offer  of  five  thousand  dollars,  as  first 
named,  was  renewed,  with  an  urgent  appeal  for  the 
preservation  of  the  land,  and  completion  of  the  monu 
ment.  A  movement  followed  this  appeal,  but  was  not 


172  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

successful.  Iii  April,  1833,  Mr.  Lawrence  proposed  to 
the  Massachusetts  Charitable  Mechanic  Association  to 
attempt  the  raising  of  fifty  thousand  dollars,  to  be 
secured  within  three  months,  for  completing  the  mon 
ument  and  preserving  the  field  ;  accompanying  the 
proposition  was  an  offer  of  five  thousand  dollars,  or 
ten  per  cent,  on  any  less  sum  that  might  be  raised,  as 
a  donation  to  the  Association.  A  public  meeting  wras 
held  in  Faneuil  Hall  in  response  to  this  proposition,  at 
which  Hon.  Edward  Everett  made  a  most  powerful 
appeal,  which  produced  so  great  an  effect  upon  his 
auditors  that  the  object  was  considered  as  accom 
plished.  The  effort  was  again  unsuccessful.  Early  in 
1839,  Mr.  Lawrence  addressed  a  letter  to  George  Dar- 
racott,  Esq.,  President  of  the  Mechanic  Association,  in 
which,  after  expressing  regret  that  his  feeble  and  pre 
carious  health  would  not  permit  him  to  make  personal 
application  to  the  citizens  of  Boston,  he  adds  : 

"  The  next  best  thing  I  can  do  is  to  give  money.     The  Monu- 

•^T 

ment  Association  owes  a  debt.  To  discharge  the  debt,  finish  the 
monument,  surround  it  with  a  handsome  iron  fence,  and  otherwise 
ornament  the  ground  as  it  deserves,  will  require  forty  thousand 
dollars  more  than  it  now  has.  If  the  Association  will  collect 
thirty  thousand  dollars  the  present  year,  and  pay  off  the  debt,  I 
will  give  to  the  Charitable  Mechanic  Association  ten  thousand 
dollars  to  enable  it  to  complete  the  work  in  a  manner  which  our 
fathers  would  have  done,  had  they  been  here  to  direct  it." 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  173 

A  further  donation  of  ten  thousand  dollars  was  made 
by  Judah  Touro,  Esq.,  of  New  Orleans  ;  five  thousand 
dollars  were  received  from  other  sources  ;  and  this, 
with  thirty  thousand  dollars  received  at  the  great 
•fair  held  in  Quincy  Hall,  September,  1840,  afforded 
the  means  of  completing  the  monument  according  to 
the  original  design.  Thus  was  consummated  a  work 
which  had  been  very  near  to  Mr.  Lawrence's  heart,  and 
which  had  cost  him  many  a  sleepless  night,  as  well  as 
days  of  toil  and  perplexity.  To  his  associates  in  this 
work  too  much  credit  cannot  be  awarded,  discouraged, 
as  they  often  were,  by  indifference,  and  even  censure. 
Their  names  will  be  handed  down  for  centuries,  in  con 
nection  with  a  monument,  which,  while  it  commemo 
rates  a  nation's  freedom,  teaches  also  a  practical  lesson 
of  the  perseverance  and  energy  of  man. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  newspaper  pub 
lished  about  the  time  the  monument  was  completed, 
giving  an  account  of  a  festival  held  in  commemoration 
of  the  event : 

"  The  president  remarked,  that,  among  the  benefactors  to 
•whom  the  Association  had  been  particularly  indebted  for  the 
means  of  completing  the  monument,  two,  whose  names  were  writ 
ten  on  a  scroll  at  the  other  end  of  the  hall,  were  Amos  Lawrence 
and  Judah  Touro,  each  of  whom  had  made  a  donation  of  ten 
thousand  dollars.  He  thought  it  proper  they  should  be  remem 
bered  at  the  festive  board,  and  gave  the  following : 


174  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

"  Amos  and- Judali !  venerated  names ! 
Patriarch  and  prophet  press  their  equal  claims ; 
Like  generous  coursers,  running  neck  and  neck, 
Each  aids  the  work  by  giving  it  a  check, 
Christian  and  Jew,  they  carry  out  a  plan ; 
For,  though  of  different  faith,  each  is  in  heart  a  man." 


CHAPTER    XX. 

INTEREST  IN  MOUNT  AUBURN.— REV.  DR.  SHARP.  —  LETTER   FROM 
BISHOP  McILVAINE.  — LETTER  FROM  JUDGE  STORY. 

AFTER  the  establishment  of  the  cemetery  at  Mount 
Auburn,  Mr.  Lawrence  had  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
its  progress,  as  well  as  in  every  plan  for  its  gradual 
improvement  and  embellishment.  In  connection  with 
his  brothers,  he  had  purchased  a  large  space,  which 
had  been  enclosed  by  a  permanent  granite  wall  and 
iron  railing.  To  this  spot  he  habitually  resorted,  con 
taining,  as  it  did,  the  remains  of  some  of  the  dearest 
earthly  objects  of  his  affection,  and  destined,  as  it  was, 
to  be  the  final  resting-place  of  not  only  himself,  but  of 
the  various  branches  of  his  family.  When  this  enclos 
ure  had  been  finished,  it  became  an  object  with  him  to 
gather  around  him  in  death  those  whom  he  had  loved 
and  honored  in  life.  In  this  way,  he  had  been  instru 
mental  in  causing  to  be  removed  to  a  burial-lot 
adjoining  his  own  the  remains  of  the  Kev.  J.  S. 
Buckminster,  the  former  minister  of  Brattle-street 
Church  ;  and  had  also  presented  another  lot  to  his 
friend  and  pastor,  the  Kev.  Dr.  Lothrop.  Another 
friend,  whose  grave  he  wished  to  have  near  his  own, 

176 


176  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

was  the  Rev.  Daniel  Sharp,  D.D.,  minister  of  the 
Charles-street  Baptist  Church,  in  Boston.  There  were 
few  in  Boston  who  were  not  familiar  with  the  appear 
ance  of  this  venerable  clergyman,  as  he  daily  appeared 
in  the  streets  ;  and  fewer  still  who  had  not  learned  to 
appreciate  the  truly  catholic  and  Christian  spirit  which 
animated  him  in  his  intercourse  with  men  of  all  sects 
and  parties.  Mr.  Lawrence  had  early  entertained  a 
great  esteem  for  his  character  ;  and  this  esteem  had 
become  mutual,  and  had  ripened  into  the  closest  inti 
macy  and  friendship.  On  receiving  a  deed  of  a  lot  at 
Mount  Auburn,  Dr.  Sharp  writes  as  follows  : 

"  BOSTON,  August  23,  1843. 

"MY  DEAR  SIR:  I  cannot  find  words  with  which  to  express 
my  sense  of  your  unexpected  and  considerate  kindness,  in  pro 
viding  so  beautiful  a  resting-place  in  Mount  Auburn  for  me  and 
my  loved  ones.  It  is  soothing  to  me  to  anticipate  that  my  grave 
will  be  so  near  your  own.  May  the  Almighty,  in  his  infinite 
mercy,  grant,  that,  when  the  trumpet  shall  sound,  and  the  dead 
shall  awake,  we  may  both  rise  together,  to  be  forever  with  the 
Lord  !  If  the  proximity  of  my  last  place  of  repose  to  ministers 
of  another  denomination  shall  teach  candor,  charity,  and  peace,  I 
enjoy  the  sweet  consciousness  that  this  will  be  in  harmony  with 
the  object  of  my  life.  Yours,  gratefully, 

u  DANIEL  SHARP. 

"  AMOS  LAWRENCE,  Esq." 

The  enlarged  Christian  spirit  which  formed  so  prom 
inent  a  trait  in  Mr.  Lawrence's  character,  and  which 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  177 

enabled  him  to  appreciate  goodness  wherever  it  could 
be  found,  without  reference  to  nation,  sect,  or  color, 
may  be  further  illustrated  by  the  following  note  of 
acknowledgment,  received  about  the  same  time  with 
the  preceding,  from  Bishop  Mcllvaine,  of  the  Protest 
ant  Episcopal  Church  in  Ohio,  who  was  then  on  a  visit 
to  Boston  to  procure  funds  in  aid  of  Kenyon  College  : 

"  Wednesday  evening. 

"  MY  DBAE  SIR:  I  have  just  received  your  very  kind  and 
grateful  letter,  with  its  cheering  enclosure  of  a  hundred  dollars 
towards  an  object  which  engrosses  me  much  just  now.  Thank 
you,  dear  sir,  most  truly,  for  your  kindness,  and  the  first  fruits 
of  Boston,  for  I  came  only  to-day.  I  trust  the  ingathering  will 
not  dispossess  the  first  ripe  sheaf.  Coming  from  one  not  of  my 
own  church,  it  is  the  more  kind  and  grateful.  0,  sir  !  if  God 
shall  so  bless  my  present  eifort  as  to  send  me  home  with  the  sum 
I  seek,  I  shall  know  a  freedom  of  mind  from  care  and  anxiety 
such  as  I  have  not  experienced  for  many  years,  during  which  our 
present  crisis  has  been  anticipated.  I  shall  have  great  pleasure 
in  riding  with  you,  according  to  your  note  to  Mr.  R.  To-morrow 
will  probably  be  a  day  of  more  leisure  to  me  than  any  other 
while  I  shall  be  in  Boston. 

"  Yours,  very  truly"  and  respectfully, 

"  CHARLES  P.  MC!LVAINE." 

(TO    ONE   OF   HIS   PARTNERS.) 

"  December  18,  1843. 

"  DEAR  MR.  PARKER:  I  am  puffed  up  (with  ague),  but  not 
in  a  manner  to  gratify  my  pride,  as  I  am  housed,  and  denied  the 

sight  of  most  of  those  who  call,  but  not  the  privilege  of  reading 
23 


178  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

their  papers,  and  spending  money.  In  short,  I  have  more  use  for 
money  when  in  the  house  than  when  able  to  be  abroad.  If  you 
will  tell  Brother  Sharp  *  his  beautiful  bills  find  an  exceedingly 
ready  use,  I  shall  be  glad  of  one  hundred  in  ones  and  twos,  two 
hundred  in  fives,  and  three  hundred  in  tens  and  twenties ;  say  six 
hundred  dollars,  just  to  keep  me  along  till  the  end  of  the  month. 
The  calls  are  frequent  and  striking.  '  Do  with  thy  might  what 
thy  hand  findeth  to  do  ;  for  the  night  cometh,  when  no  man  can 
work.'  God  grant  me  the  blessing  of  being  ready  to  answer  the 
call,  whether  it  be  at  noon  or  at  midnight !  " 

Twelve  days  after,  he  writes  to  the  same  gentleman 
for  another  supply  ;  the  sum  already  received  not 
having  been  sufficient  apparently  to  carry  him  through 
the  year  : 

"  December  30,  1843. 

"  l  The  good  there  is  in  riches  lieth  altogether  in  their  use,  like 
the  woman's  box  of  ointment ;  if  it  be  not  broken  and  the  con 
tents  poured  out  for  the  refreshment  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  his  dis 
tressed  members,  they  lose  their  worth ;  the  covetous  man  may 
therefore  truly  write  upon  his  rusting  heaps,  "  These  are  good 
for  nothing."  He  is  not  rich  who  lays  up  much,  but  he  who  lays 
out  much ;  for  it  is  all  one  not  to  have,  as  not  to  use.  I  will 
therefore  be  the  richer  by  charitable  laying  out,  while  the 
worldling  will  be  poorer  by  his  covetous  hoarding  up.' 

"  Here  is  the  embodiment  of  a  volume,  and  whoever  wrote  it 
deserves  the  thanks  of  good  men.  I  would  fain  be  rich,  accord 
ing  as  he  defines  riches ;  but  possession,  possession,  is  the  devil, 
as  the  old  Frenchman  at  -  -  said  to  George  Cabot.  This  devil 

*  For  more  than  fortj  years  Teller  in  Massachusetts  Bank. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  179 

I  would  try  to  cast  out ;  you  will  therefore  please  send  me  twelve 
hundred  dollars,  which  may  do  something  for  the  comfort  of  those 
who  have  seen  better  days.  Your  friend,  A.  L. 

"To  C.  H.  PARKER,  Esq." 

The  following  letter  from  Judge  Story  was  received 
at  about  the  time  the  preceding  letter  was  written  ; 
but  no  memorandum  is  found  by  which  to  ascertain  the 
occasion  which  called  it  forth.  It  may  be  that  he  had 
been  made  the  channel,  as  was  the  case  a  few  months 
before,  of  some  donation  to  a  third  person  ;  a  mode 
which  Mr.  Lawrence  often  adopted  when  he  felt  a 
delicacy  in  proffering  direct  aid  to  some  one  whose 
sensitiveness  might  be  wounded  in  receiving  assistance 
from  a  comparative  stranger  : 

"  CAMBRIDGE,  Saturday  noon. 

"MY  DEAR  SIR:  I  have  this  moment  finished  reading  your 
letter  and  its  enclosures,  which  did  not  reach  me  until  this  noon, 
and  I  can  scarcely  describe  to  you  how  deeply  I  have  been 
affected  by  them.  I  almost  feel  that  you  are  too  much  oppressed 
by  the  constant  calls  for  charitable  purposes,  and  that  your  liberal 
and  conscientious  spirit  is  tasked  to  its  utmost  extent.  i  The  poor 
have  ye  always  with  you  '  is  a  Christian  truth  ;  and  I  know  not, 
in  the  whole  circle  of  my  friends,  any  one  who  realizes  it  so  fully, 
and  acts  upon  it  so  nobly,  as  yourself.  God,  my  dear  sir,  will 
reward  you  for  all  your  goodness  ;  man  never  can.  And  yet  the 
gratitude  of  the  many  whom  you  relieve,  their  prayers  for  your 
happiness,  their  consciousness  of  your  expanded  benevolence,  is 
of  itself  a  treasure  of  inestimable  value.  It  is  a  source  of  con 
solation,  which  you  would  not  exchange  for  any  earthly  boon  of 


180  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

equal  value.  Wealth  is  to  you  an  enlightened  trust,  for  the 
benefit  of  your  race.  You  administer  it  so  gracefully,  as  well  as 
so  justly,  that  I  can  only  regret  that  your  means  are  not  ten 
times  as  great.  Gracious  Heavens  !  What  a  contrast  is  your 
life  to  that  of  some  wealthy  men,  who  have  lived  many  years,  and 
have  yet  to  learn  how  to  give,  or,  as  you  beautifully  expressed  it 
the  other  day,  who  have  yet  to  learn  to  be  their  own  executors  ! 
My  heart  is  so  full  of  you,  and  of  the  whole  matter,  that  I  would 
fain  pour  out  my  thoughts  at  large  to  you ;  for  you  understand 
me,  and  I  can  sympathize  with  you.  But  just  now  I  am  full  of 
all  sorts  of  business,  and  without  a  moment  to  spare,  having 
many  judicial  opinions  to  prepare  in  the  few  remaining  days 
before  I  go  to  Washington ;  and,  withal,  having  Mrs.  S.  very  ill, 
in  respect  to  whom  I  feel  a  deep  anxiety.  But,  wherever  I  am,  I 
pray  you  to  believe  that  you  are  always  in  my  thoughts,  with  the 
warmest  affection  and  dearest  remembrance.  And,  if  this  hasty 
scrawl  is  not  too  slight  for  such  a  matter,  pray  preserve  it  among 
your  papers,  that  your  children  may  know  what  I  thought  of 
their  father,  when  you  and  I  shall  be  both  in  our  graves. 

"  I  am  most  truly  and  faithfully  your  obliged  friend, 

"  JOSEPH  STORY. 
"  AMOS  LAWRENCE,  Esq. 

"  P.  S.  — I  have  sent  the  letter  and  its  accompaniments  to  Mr. 
.     Think  of .     Think  of  those  rich  men  in ,  who 


have  never  dreamed  of  the   duties  of  charity.     Cast  a  view  to 
their  own  posterity.     How  striking  a  memento  is  the  very  case  of 
— ,  presented  in  his  own  letters,  of  the  instability  of  human 
fortune  ! " 

Mr.  Lawrence  closes  the  year  1843  by  a  review  of 
his  temporal  affairs,  and  by  fresh  resolutions  of  fidelity 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  181 

to  his  trusts.  He  then  gives  an  estimate  of  h.s  income 
and  expenditures,  showing  a  somewhat  large  excess  of 
the  latter,  though,  as  he  says,  from  the  state  of  the 
times,  not  to  the  detriment  of  his  property. 

(TO   THE  MECHANIC   APPRENTICES'    LIBRARY   ASSOCIATION.) 

"  MY  YOUNG  FRIENDS  :  It  cheers  and  comforts  me  to  learn  of 
your  well-doing,  and  encourages  me  to  offer  a  word  of  counsel,  as 
prosperity  is  often  more  dangerous  in  its  time  than  adversity. 
Now  is  your  seed-time.  See  to  it  that  it  is  good ;  for  '  what 
soever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap.'  The  integrity, 
intelligence,  and  elevated  bearing,  of  the^  Boston  mechanics,  have 
been  and  are  a  property  for  each  citizen  of  great  value ;  inasmuch 
as  the  good  name  of  our  beloved  city  is  a  common  property,  that 
every  citizen  has  an  interest  in,  and  should  help  to  preserve.  At 
your  time  of  life,  habits  are  formed  that  grow  with  your  years. 
Avoid  rum  and  tobacco,  in  all  forms,  unless  prescribed  as  a  med 
icine  ;  and  I  will  promise  you  better  contracts,  heavier  purses, 
happier  families,  and  a  more  youthful  and  vigorous  old  age,  by 
thus  avoiding  the  beginning  of  evil.  God  speed  you.  my  young 
friends,  in  all  your  good  works  !  With  the  enclosed,  I  pray  you 
to  accept  the  felicitations  of  the  season. 

"  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 


CHAPTER  XXL 

ACQUAINTANCE  WITH  PRESIDENT  HOPKINS.  —  LETTERS.  —  AFFEC 
TION  FOR  BRATTLE-STREET  CHURCH.— DEATH  OF  MRS.  APPLETON. 
—  LETTERS.  —  AMESBURY  CO. 

AT  the  commencement  of  the  year  1844,  President 
Hopkins,  of  Williams  College,  delivered  a  course  of 
lectures  on  the  "Evidences  of  Christianity/'  before  the 
Lowell  Institute,  in  Boston.  Mr.  Lawrence  had  pre 
viously  seen  him,  and  had  thought  that  he  detected,  in 
some  features  of  his  face,  a  resemblance  to  the  family 
of  his  first  wife.  In  allusion  to  this  acquaintance,  he 
writes  to  his  son  about  this  period  : 

"  President  H.  has  the  family  look  of  your  mother  enough 
to  belong  to  them ;  and  it  was  in  consequence  of  that  resem 
blance,  when  I  was  first  introduced  to  him  many  years  ago,  that  I 
inquired  his  origin,  and  found  him  to  be  of  the  same  stock." 

The  acquaintance  was  renewed,  and  an  intimacy 
ensued,  which  was  not  only  the  cause  of  much  happi 
ness  to  Mr.  Lawrence  through  the  remainder  of  his  life, 
but  was  also  the  means  of  directing  his  attention  to  the 
wants  of  Williams  College,  of  which  he  eventually  be 
came  the  greatest  benefactor.  An  active  and  constant 

182 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  183 

correspondence  followed  this  acquaintance,  and  was  so 
much  prized  by  Mr.  Lawrence  that  he  had  most  of  the 
letters  copied,  thereby  filling  several  volumes,  from 
which  extracts  will  from  time  to  time  be  made.  In 
one  of  his  first  letters  to  that  gentleman,  dated  May  11, 
he  says : 

"If,  by  the  consecration  of  my  earthly  possessions  to  some 
extent,  I  can  make  the  Christian  character  practically  more 
lovely,  and  illustrate,  in  my  own  case,  that  the  higher  enjoyments 
here  are  promoted  by  the  free  use  of  the  good  things  intrusted  to 
me,  what  so  good  use  can  I  make  of  them  ?  I  feel  that  my  stew 
ardship  is  a  very  imperfect  one,  and  that  the  use  of  these  good 
things  might  be  extended  profitably  to  myself ;  and,  since  I  have 
known  how  much  good  the  little  donation  did  your  college,  I  feel 
ashamed  of  myself  it  had  not  been  larger, —  at  any  rate,  sufficient 
to  have  cleared  the  debt." 

To  the  same  gentleman,  who  had  informed  Mr.  Law 
rence  that  an  accident  had  befallen  a  plaster  bust  of 
himself,  he  writes,  under  date  of  May  16  : 

"  DEAR  PRESIDENT  :  You  know  the  phrase  '  Such  a  man's 
head  is  full  of  notions '  has  a  meaning  that  we  all  understand  to 
be  not  to  his  credit  for  discretion,  whatever  else  may  be  said  of 
him.  As  I  propose  throwing  in  a  caveat  against  this  general 
meaning,  I  proceed  to  state  my  case.  And,  firstly,  President  H. 
is  made  debtor  to  the  Western  Railroad  Corporation  for  the  trans 
portation  of  a  barrel  to  Pittsfield.  The  bill  is  receipted,  so  that 
you  can  have  the  barrel  to-morrow  by  sending  for  it ;  which  bar 
rel  contains  neither  biscuit  nor  flour,  but  the  clay  image  of  your 


184  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

friend.  In  the  head  are  divers  notions  that  my  hand  fell  upon  as 
I  was  preparing  it  for  the  jaunt ;  and.  when  the  head  was  filled 
with  things  new  and  old,  I  was  careful  to  secure  the  region  under 
the  shoulders,  especially  on  the  left  side,  and  near  the  heart,  by 
placing  there  that  part  of  a  lady's  dress  which  designates  a  gov 
ernment  that  we  men  are  unwilling  openly  to  acknowledge,  but 
is,  withal,  very  conservative.  Within  its  folds  I  wrapped  up 
very  securely  '  Pilgrim's  Progress,'  and  stuffed  the  empty  space 
between  my  shoulders,  and  near  my  heart,  brim  full.  I  hope 
my  young  friend  will  find  a  motive  and  a  moral  in  the  image  and 
in  the  book,  to  cheer  him  on  in  his  pilgrimage  of  life." 


"July  22, 1844.  —  Sixty-seven  years  ago  this  day,  my  mother, 
now/  living,  was  married ;  and,  while  standing  up  for  the  cere 
mony,  the  alarm-bell  rang,  calling  all  soldiers  to  their  posts.  My 
father  left  her  within  the  hour,  and  repaired  to  Cambridge ;  but 
the  colonel,  in  consideration  of  the  circumstances,  allowed  him  to 
return  to  Groton  to  his  wife,  and  to  join  his  regiment  within  three 
days  at  Rhode  Island.  This  he  did,  spending  but  a  few  hours 
with  his  wife ;  and  she  saw  nothing  more  of  him  until  the  last  day 
Df  the  year,  when  he  made  her  a  visit.  I  have  ordered  a  thousand 
dollars  paid  to  the  Massachusetts  General  Hospital,  to  aid  in 
enlarging  its  wings,  and  to  commemorate  this  event.  The  girls 
of  this  day  know  nothing  of  the  privations  and  trials  of  their 
grandmothers." 

On  the  same  day  with  the  above  entry  in  his  diary 
occurs  another,  in  which  he  alludes  to  assistance 
afforded  to  some  young  persons  in  Brattle-street 
Church,  —  "  sons  of  Brattle-street,  and,  as  such,  as 
sisted  by  me."  Mr.  Lawrence's  early  religious  asso- 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  185 

ciations  were  connected  with  this  church,  where,  it  is 
believed,  he  attended  from  the  first  Sunday  after  his 
coming  to  Boston.  With  such  associations,  and  con 
nected  as  they  were  with  the  most  endeared  recollec 
tions  of  those  who  had  worshipped  there  with  him  in 
early  days,  all  that  pertained  to  this  venerable  church 
possessed  a  strong  and  abiding  interest.  In  this  con 
nection  is  quoted  the  beautiful  testimony  of  his  pastor, 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Lothrop,  furnished  in  the  funeral  sermon 
delivered  by  him,  where  he  speaks  of  Mr.  Lawrence's 
love  for  the  church,  as  well  as  of  his  religious  char 
acter  : 

"  The  prominent  feature  in  Mr.  Lawrence's  life  and  character, 
its  inspiration  and  its  guide,  was  religion, —  religious  faith,  affec 
tion,  and  hope.  He  loved  God,  and  therefore  he  loved  all  God's 
creatures.  He  believed  in  Christ  as  the  Messiah  and  Saviour  of 
the  world,  and  therefore  found  peace  and  strength  in  his  soul, 
amid  all  the  perils,  duties,  and  sorrows  of  life.  His  religious 
opinions  lay  distinct  and  clear  in  his  own  mind.  They  were 
the ,  result  of  careful  reading  and  of  serious  reflection,  and  were 
marked  by  a  profound  reverence  for  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  and 
the  divine  authority  of  Jesus  Christ.  A  constant  worshipper 
here  during  the  forty-six  years  of  his  residence  in  this  city,  for 
more  than  forty  years  of  this  period  a  communicant,  and  for  more 
than  ten  a  deacon  of  this  church, —  resigning  the  office,  at  length, 
because  of  his  invalid  state  of  health, —  he  had  strong  attach 
ments  to  this  house  of  God.  '  Our  venerable  church,'  he  says  in 
one  of  his  notes  to  me,  l  has  in  it  deeply  impressive,  improving, 
instructive,  and  interesting  associations,  going  back  to  the  early 
24 


186  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

days  of  my  worshipping  there ;  and  the  prayers  of  my  friends 
and  fellow-worshippers  of  three  generations,  in  part  now  belonging 
there,  come  in  aid  of  my  weakness  in  time  of  need ;  and  no  other 
spot,  but  that  home  where  I  was  first  taught  my  prayers,  and  this 
my  domestic  fireside,  where  my  children  have  been  taught  theirs, 
has  the  same  interest  as  our  own  old  Brattle-square  Church.' ' 

To  an  old  business  friend  and  acquaintance,  Joshua 
Aubin,  Esq.,  the  agent  of  the  Amesbury  Company,  who 
had  from  the  beginning  been  associated  with  him  in  this 
first  and  favorite  manufacturing  enterprise  in  which  he 
had  engaged,  he  writes  on  September  18,  after  receiv 
ing  a  quantity  of  manufactured  articles  for  distribution 
among  the  poor  : 

"You  are  brought  very  near  to  me  on  such  a  day  as  this 
(when  I  am  shut  up  in  the  house),  by  your  work  as  well  as  by 
your  words. 

"  Now,  as  to  your  last  consignment,  I  have  derived,  and  expect 
to  derive,  as  much  comfort  and  enjoyment  from  it  as  I  ordinarily 
should  from  a  cash  dividend  on  my  shares.  In  truth,  I  am  able 
to  employ  these  odds  and  ends  to  such  uses  and  for  such  persons 
as  will  make  me  feel  as  though  I  were  spared  here  for  some  use. 

"  For  instance,  I  had  a  call  from  a  most  respectable  friend 
(president  of  one  of  the  best  colleges  in  the  West)  last  week, 
who  agreed  to  come  again  this  week  to  do  some  shopping  as  soon 
as  he  got  some  money  for  preaching  on  Sunday,  and  look  over 
my  stock  of  goods. 

"  I  intend  making  him  up  a  good  parcel  of  your  work,  and, 
depend  on  it,  it  is  good  seed,  and  will  take  root  at  the  West.  He 
says  that  they  have  no  money,  but  plenty  of  corn,  and  beef,  and 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  187 

pork.  Corn  pays  for  growing  at  ten  cents  a  bushel,  and  will  not 
bring  that  in  cash ;  and  ten  bushels  will  not  pay  for  a  calico  gown, 
or  a  flannel  petticoat. 

"With  his  large  family  of  children,  don't  you  think  these 
odds  and  ends  will  come  as  a  blessing  ?  Besides,  he  is  an  old- 
fhehioned  Massachusetts  Whig ;  loves  the  old  Bay  State  as  well 
as  ever  the  Jews  loved  their  State,  and  is,  through  his  college, 

exercising  an  influence  in that  "no  body  of  men  in  that  State 

can  do ;  and  will,  in  the  end,  bring  them  into  regular  line,  as  to 
education  and  elevation  of  character.  Send  me  some  of  your 
flannels  to  give  to  Madam  -  -  for  her  family  of  one  or  two 
hundred  children  in  the  Children's  Friend  Society. 

" will  give  them  over  to  these  poor  little  destitute,  unclad 

creatures.  They  are  taken  and  saved  by  this  interesting  society. 

"  A  rainy  day  like  this  is  the  very  time  for  me  to  work  among 
my  household  goods.  Many  a  poor  minister  and  his  family,  and 
many  a  needy  student  at  school  or  college,  fare  the  better  for 
your  spinning  and  weaving. 

"I  am  living  iii  my  chamber,  and  on  very  close  allowance. 
Every  day  to  me  is  a  day  of  glorious  anticipations,  if  I  am  free 
from  bodily  suffering,  and  if  my  mind  is  free." 

On  another  occasion  he  writes  to  the  same  gen 
tleman  : 

' 1 1  have  your  letter  and  package ;  the  cold  of  this  morn 
ing  will  make  the  articles  doubly  acceptable  to  the  shivering  and 
sick  poor  among  us.  J.  C.'s  case  is  one  for  sympathy  and  relief. 
Engage  to  supply  him  a  hundred  dollars,  which  I  will  hand  to 
you  when  you  visit  me ;  and  tell  the  poor  fellow  to  keep  in  good 
heart,  for  our  merciful  Father  afflicts  in  love,  and  thus  I  trust 
that  this  will  prove  a  stepping-stone  to  the  mansions  of  bliss.  I 


188  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

shall  never  cease  to  remember  with  interest  the  veterans  of  the 
A.  F.  Co.  How  are  my  friends  B.  and  others  of  early  days  ? 
Also,  how  is  old  father  F.  ?  Does  he  need  my  warm  outside 
coat,  when  I  get  supplied  with  a  better  ? 

"  After  your  call  upon  me  a  few  weeks  since,  I  went  back  in 
memory  to  scenes  of  olden  times,  which  had  an  interest  that  you 
can  sympathize  in,  and  which  I  intended  to  express  to  you  before 
this  ;  but  I  have  had  one  of  those  admonitory  ill  turns  since,  that 
kept  me  under  the  eye  of  the  doctor  for  a  number  of  days. 

"In  reviewing  my  beginnings  in  manufacturing,  under  your 
recommendation  and  care,  almost  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  I 
can  see  the  men,  the  machines,  the  wheel-pit,  and  the  speed- 
gauge,  and  especially  I  can  see  our  old  friend  W.  lying  on  the 
bottom  of  the  pit,  lamp  in  hand,  with  his  best  coat  on,  eying  the 
wheels  and  cogs  as  an  astronomer  makes  observations  in  an 
observatory.  All  these  scenes  are  as  fresh  in  my  memory  as 
though  seen  but  yesterday. 

"  Do  you  remember  C.  B.,  the  brother  of  J.  and  G.  B.  ?  All 
three  of  whom  were  business  men  here  at  the  time  you  were,  and 
all  were  unfortunate.  C.  tried  his  hand  in  -  — ,  and  did  not 
succeed  there  ;  returned  to  this  country,  and  settled  on  a  tract  of 

land  in ,  where  he  has  been  hard  at  work  for  ten  years,  and 

has  maintained  his  family.  His  wife  died  a  few  months  since. 
One  after  another  of  his  family  sickened,  and  he  became  some 
what  straitened,  and  knew  not  what  to  do.  He  wrote  to  an  old 
business  friend,  who  was  his  debtor,  and  who  had  failed,  had  paid 
a  part  only,  and  was  discharged  thirty  years  ago,  and  who  has 
since  been  prosperous.  He  stated  his  case,  and  asked  me  to  say 
a  good  word  for  him.  That  person  sent  one  half,  and  I  sent  the 
other  half,  the  day  before  Thanksgiving.  It  will  reach  him  on 
Monday  next,  and  will  make  his  eyes  glisten  with  joy. 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  189 

"Remember  me  to  Capt. and  J.   C.,  and  B.,  and  any 

other  of  the  veterans." 

Sept.  23,  Mr.  Lawrence  receives  from  an  old  debtor, 
once  a  clerk  in  his  establishment,  a  check  for  five 
hundred  dollars,  which  a  sense  of  justice  had  induced 
him  to  send,  though  the  debt  of  some  thousands  had 
been  long  since  legally  discharged.  On  receiving  it, 
he  writes,  in  a  memorandum  at  the  bottom  of  the  letter 
received,  to  his  brother  and  partner  : 

"  DEAR  ABBOTT  :  I  have  the  money.  J.  D.  was  always  a 
person  of  truth.  I  take  the  statement  as  true ;  but  I  had  no 
recollection  of  the  thing  till  recalled  by  his  statement.  What 
say  you  to  putting  this  money  into  the  life  office,  in  trust  for  his 
sister  ?  Your  affectionate  brother,  AMOS." 

"MEMORANDUM.  November  23. —  Done,  and  policy  sent  to 
the  sister." 

There  are  but  few  men,  distinguished  in  public  or 
private  life,  who  are  burdened  with  an  undue  amount 
of  praise  from  their  contemporaries  ;  and  yet  this  was 
the  case  with  Mr.  Lawrence,  who  was  often  chagrined, 
after  some  deed  of  charity,  or  some  written  expression 
of  sympathy,  to  see  it  emblazoned,  with  superadded 
colors,  in  the  public  prints.  Some  one  had  enclosed  to 
him  a  newspaper  from  another  city,  which  contained  a 
most  labored  and  flattering  notice  of  the  kind  referred 
to,  to  which  he  writes  the  following  reply : 


190  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

"  September,  1844. 

"DEAR  -  -:  I  received  the  paper  last  evening,  and  have 
read  and  re-read  it  with  deep  interest  and  attention.  However 
true  it  may  be,  it  is  not  calculated  to  promote  the  ultimate  good 
of  any  of  us ;  for  we  are  all  inclined  to  think  full  well  enough 
of  ourselves ;  and  such  puffs  should  be  left  for  our  obituaries. 
Truth  is  not  always  to  be  pushed  forward ;  and  its  advocates  may 
sometimes  retard  it  by  injudicious  urging.  Such  is  the  danger 
in  the  present  case.  The  writer  appears  to  be  a  young  man 
who  has  received  favors,  and  is  laboring  to  repay  them  or  secure 
more.  He  has  told  the  truth  ;  but,  as  I  before  said,  neither  you 
nor  I,  nor  any  one  of  our  families,  are  improved  or  benefited  in 
any  degree  by  it.  God  grant  us  to  be  humble,  diligent,  and 
faithful  to  the  end  of  our  journey,  that  we  may  then  receive  his 
approval,  and  be  placed  among  the  good  of  all  nations  and 
times  ! " 

On  the  29th  of  October,  Mrs.  Appleton,  his  sister- 
in-law,  and  widow  of  the  Rev.  Jesse  Appleton,  D.D., 
formerly  President  of  Bowdoin  College,  died  at  his 
house,  after  a  lingering  illness.  In  a  letter  to  his  son, 
after  describing  her  character  and  peaceful  death,  he 
says  : 

"  With  such  a  life  and  such  hopes,  who  can  view  the  change 
as  any  other  than  putting  away  the  fugitive  and  restless  pleasures 
of  an  hour  for  the  quiet  and  fixed  enjoyments  of  eternity  ?  Let 
us,  then,  my  dear  children,  not  look  upon  the  separation  of  a  few 
short  years  as  a  calamity  to  be  dreaded,  should  we  not  meet  here 
again  in  any  other  way  than  as  we  now  meet.  While  I  am  here, 
every  joy  and  enjoyment  you  experience,  and  give  us  an  account 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  191 

of,  is  not  less  so  to  us  than  if  we  were  with  you  to  partake,  as 
we  have  done  of  all  such  heretofore;  and,  in  this  source  of 
enjoyment,  few  people  have  such  ample  stores.  Three  families 
of  children  and  grandchildren  within  my  daily  walk, —  is  not  this 
enough  for  any  man?  And  here  I  would  impress  upon  my 
grandsons  the  importance  of  looking  carefully  to  their  steps. 
The  difference  between  going  just  right  and  a  little  wrong  in  the 
commencement  of  the  journey  of  life,  is  the  difference  between 
their  finding  a  happy  home  or  a  miserable  slough  at  the  end  of 
the  journey.  Teach  them  to  avoid  tobacco  and  intoxicating 
drink,  and  all  temptations  that  can  lead  them  into  evil,  as  it  is 
easier  to  prevent  than  to  remedy  a  fault.  '  An  ounce  of  preven 
tion  is  worth  a  pound  of  cure.'  I  was  going  on  to  say  that, 
according  to  my  estimate  of  men  and  things,  I  would  not  change 
conditions  with  Louis  Philippe  if  I  could  by  a  wish,  rich  as  he  is 
in  the  matter  of  good  children.  I  have  a  great  liking  for  him, 
and  a  sincere  respect  for  his  family,  as  they  are  reported  to  me ; 
but  I  trust  that  mine  will  not  be  tried  by  the  temptations  of  great 
worldly  grandeur,  but  that  they  will  be  found  faithful  stewards 
of  the  talents  intrusted  to  them.  Bring  up  your  boys  to  do 
their  work  first,  and  enjoy  their  play  afterwards.  Begin  early 
to  teach  them  habits  of  order,  a  proper  economy,  and  exact 
accountability  in  their  affairs.  This  simple  rule  of  making  a 
child,  after  he  is  twelve  years  old,  keep  an  exact  account  of  all 
that  he  wears,  uses,  or  expends,  in  any  and  every  way,  would 
save  more  suffering  to  families  than  can  fairly  be  estimated  by 
those  who  have  not  observed  its  operation. 

"  And  now,  to  change  the  subject,"  he  writes  Nov.  15,  "  we 
have  got  through  the  elections,  and  are  humbled  as  Americans. 
The  questions  affecting  our  local  labor,  produce,  and  pecuniary 
interests,  are  of  small  moment,  compared  with  that  of  annexing 


192  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

Texas  to  this  Union.     I  wrote  a  brief  note  yesterday  to  our 

friend  Chapman,  late  Mayor  of  the  city,  and  a  member  of  the 

Whig  Committee,  which  speaks  the  language  of  my  heart.     It 
was  as  follows : 

•"  l  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  The  result  of  the  election  in  Massachusetts 
is  matter  of  devout  and  grateful  feelings  to  every  good  citizen, 
and,  so  far  as  pride  is  allowable,  is  a  subject  of  pride  to  every 
citizen,  whatever  his  politics ;  for,  wherever  he  goes,  and  carries 
the  evidence  of  belonging  to  the  old  Bay  State,  he  may  be  sure 
of  the  respect  of  all  parties.  This  glorious  result  has  not  been 
wrought  "  without  works ;"  and  for  it  we,  the  people,  are  greatly 
indebted  to  your  committee.  So  far  as  may  be  needed,  I  trust 
you  will  find  no  backwardness  on  our  part  in  putting  matters 
right.  I  bless  God  for  sparing  my  life  to  this  time ;  and  I  hum 
bly  beseech  him  to  crown  your  labors  with  success  in  future.  If 
Texas  can  be  kept  off,  there  will  be  hope  for  our  government. 
All  other  questions  are  insignificant  in  comparison  with  this. 
The  damning  sin  of  adding  it  to  this  nation  to  extend  slavery  will 
be  as  certain  to  destroy  us  as  death  is  to  overtake  us.  The  false 
step,  once  taken,  cannot  be  retraced,  and  will  be  to  the  people 
who  occupy  what  rum  is  to  the  toper.  It  eats  up  and  uproots  the 
very  foundation  on  which  Christian  nations  are  based,  and  will 
make  us  the  scorn  of  all  Christendom.  Let  us  work,  then,  in  a 
Christian  spirit,  as  we  would  for  our  individual  salvation,  to 
prevent  this  Bad  calamity  befalling  us.'  ' 


CHAPTEE    XXII. 

DEATH    OF    HIS    DAUGHTER.  —  LETTERS.  —  DONATION  TO  WILLIAMS 
COLLEGE.  —  BENEFICENCE.  —  LETTERS. 

ON  the  29th  of  November,  Mr.  Lawrence  addressed 
to  his  son  a  most  joyous  letter,  announcing  the  birth  of 
twin-grand  daughters,  and  the  comfortable  health  of  his 
daughter,  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Charles  Mason,  Rector  of 
St.  Peter's  Church,  at  Salem,  Massachusetts.  The  letter 
is  filled  with  the  most  devout  expressions  of  gratitude  at 
the  event,  and  cheering  anticipations  for  the  future, 
and  yet  with  some  feelings  of  uneasiness  lest  the 
strength  of  his  daughter  should  not  be  sufficient  to 
sustain  her  in  these  trying  circumstances.  He  adds  : 

"  Why,  then,  should  I  worry  myself  about  what  I  cannot  help, 
and  practically  distrust  that  goodness  that  sustains  and  cheers  and 
enlivens  my  days  ?  " 

The  fears  expressed  were  too  soon  and  sadly  real 
ized  ;  the  powers  of  her  constitution  had  been  too 
severely  taxed,  nature  gave  way,  and,  four  days  after 
wards,  she  ceased  to  live.  Mr.  Lawrence  announced 
the  death  of  this  cherished  and  only  daughter  in  the 
following  letter  : 

25  193 


194  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

"  BOSTON,  December  14,  1844. 

"  MY  DEAR  SON  :  The  joyous  event  I  mentioned  of  S.'s  twins 
has  in  it  sad  memorials  of  the  uncertainty  of  all  joys,  excepting 
those  arising  from  the  happiness  of  friends  whose  journey  is 
ended,  and  whose  joys  are  commencing.  Long  life  does  not  con 
sist  in  many  years,  but  in  the  use  of  the  years  allowed  us ;  so 
that  many  a  man  who  has  seen  his  four-score  has,  for  all  the  pur 
poses  of  life,  not  lived  at  all.  And,  again,  others,  who  have 
impressed  distinct  marks,  and  have  been  called  away  before 
twenty-eight  years  have  passed  over  them,  may  have  lived  long 
lives,  and  have  been  objects  of  grateful  interest  to  multitudes  who 
hardly  spoke  to  them  while  living.  Such  has  been  the  case  with 
our  hearts'  love  and  desire,  Susan  Mason.  The  giving  birth  to 
those  two  babes,  either  of  whom  would  have  been  her  pride  and 
delight,  was  more  than  she  could  recruit  from.  The  exhaustion 
and  faintness  at  the  time  were  great,  but  not  alarming ;  and  the 
joy  of  our  hearts  for  a  season  seemed  unmixed.  After  three 
days,  the  alarm  for  her  safety  had  taken  stronger  hold  of  her 
other  friends  than  of  myself ;  and,  at  the  time  I  wrote  you  last, 
I  felt  strong  confidence  in  her  recovery.  On  Sunday  evening,  at 
seven  o'clock,  a  great  change  came  over  her,  that  precluded  all 
hope,  and  she  was  told  by  C.  how  it  was.  She  seemed  prepared 
for  it,  was  clear  in  her  mind,  and,  with  what  little  strength  she 
had,  sent  messages  of  love.  <  Give  love  to  my  father,  and  tell 
him  I  hope  we  shall  meet  in  heaven,'  was  her  graphic  and  char 
acteristic  message  ;  and  then  she  desired  C.  to  lead  and  guide  her 
thoughts  in  prayer,  which  he  continued  to  do  for  as  many  as  six 
times,  until  within  the  last  half-hour  of  her  life.  At  three 
o'clock  on  Monday  morning,  the  2d  instant,  her  pure  spirit  passed 
out  of  its  earthly  tenement  to  its  heavenly  home,  where  our 
Father  has  called  her  to  be  secured  from  the  trials  and  pains  and 


DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  195 

exposures  to  which  she  was  here  liable.  It  is  a  merciful  Father, 
who  knows  better  than  we  do  what  is  for  our  good.  What  is  now 
mysterious  will  be  made  plain  at  the  right  time,  for  *  He  doeth  all 
things  well.'  Shall  we,  then,  my  dear  children,  doubt  him  in 
this?  Surely  not.  S.  was  ripe  for  heaven,  and,  as  a  good 
scholar,  has  passed  on  in  advance  of  her  beloved  ones;  but  beck 
ons  us  on,  to  be  reunited,  and  become  joint  heirs  with  her  of 
those  treasures  provided  for  those  who  are  found  worthy.  We 
are  now  to  think  of  her  as  on  the  other  side  of  Jordan,  before  the 
same  altar  that  we  worship  at,  without  any  of  the  alloy  that 
mixes  in  ours  ;  she  praising,  and  we  praying,  and  all  hoping  an 
interest  in  the  Beloved  that  shall  make  all  things  seem  less  than 
nothing  in  comparison  with  this.  We  have  had  the  sympathy  of 
friends ;  and  the  circumstances  have  brought  to  light  new  friends, 
that  make  us  feel  our  work  here  is  not  done.  I  feel  called  two 
ways  at  once :  S.  beckoning  me  to  come  up ;  the  little  ones 
appealing  to  the  inmost  recesses  of  my  heart  to  stay,  and  lead 
them,  with  an  old  grandfather's  fondest,  strongest,  tenderest 
emotions,  as  the  embodiment  of  my  child.  Her  remains  are 
placed  at  the  head  of  her  mother's ;  and  those  two  young 
mothers,  thus  placed,  will  speak  to  their  kindred  with  an  elo 
quence  that  words  cannot.  I  try  to  say,  in  these  renewed  tokens 
of  a  Father's  discipline,  '  Thy  will  be  done,'  and  to  look  more 
carefully  after  my  tendency  to  have  some  idol  growing  upon  me 
that  is  inconsistent  with  that  first  place  he  requires ;  and  I  fur 
ther  try  to  keep  in  mind,  that,  if  I  loved  S.  much,  he  loved  her 
more,  and  has  provided  against  the  changes  she  was  exposed  to 
under  the  best  care  I  could  render.  Let  us  praise  God  for  her 
long  life  in  a  few  years,  and  profit  by  the  example  she  has  left. 
The  people  of  her  own  church  are  deeply  afflicted,  and  not  until 
her  death  were  any  of  us  aware  of  the  strong  hold  she  had  upon 


196  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

them.  Some  touching  incidents  have  occurred,  which  are  a 
better  monument  to  her  memory  than  any  marble  that  can  be 
reared.  *  *  *  * 

"  This  morning  opens  most  splendidly,  and  beautifully  illus 
trates,  in  the  appearance  of  the  sky,  that  glorious  eternity  so 
much  cherished  in  the  mind  of  the  believer. 

"With  sincerest  affection,  your  father,         A.  L." 

"  TREMONT-STREET,  Tuesday  morning. 

"  DEAR  PARTNERS  :  The  weather  is  such  as  to  keep  me 
housed  to-day,  and  it  is  important  to  me  to  have  something  to 
think  of  beside  myself.  The  sense  of  loss  will  press  upon  me 
more  than  I  desire  it,  without  the  other  side  of  the  account.  All 
is  ordered  in  wisdom  and  in  mercy ;  and  we  pay  a  poor  tribute  to 
our  Father  and  best  Friend  in  distrusting  him.  I  do  most  sin 
cerely  hope  that  I  may  say,  from  the  heart,  '  Thy  will  be  done.' 
Please  send  me  a  thousand  dollars  by  G.,  in  small  bills,  thus 
enabling  me  to  fill  up  the  time  to  some  practical  purpose.  It  is  a 
painful  thought  to  me  that  I  shall  see  my  beloved  daughter  no 
more  on  earth ;  but  it  is  a  happy  one  to  think  of  joining  her  in 
heaven.  Yours,  ever,  A.  L. 

"  A.  &  A.  LAWRENCE  &  Co." 

On  the  last  day  of  1844,  a  date  now  to  be  remem 
bered  by  his  friends  as  that  on  which  his  own  departure 
took  place,  eight  years  later,  he  writes  to  his  children 
in  France  : 

"  This  last  day  of  the  year  seems  to  have  in  it  such  tokens  and 
emblems  as  are  calculated  to  comfort  and  encourage  the  youthful 
pilgrim,  just  in  his  vigor,  not  less  than  the  old  one,  near  the  end 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  197 

of  his  journey  ;  for  the  sun  in  the  heavens,  the  hills  in  the  west, 
and  the  ocean  on  the  east,  all  speak,  in  tones  not  to  be  mistaken, 
1  Be  of  good  courage,'  '  Work  while  it  is  day,'  and  receive,  without 
murmuring,  the  discipline  a  Father  applies  ;  for  he  knows  what  is 
best  for  his  children.  Whether  he  plants  thorns  in  the  path,  or 
afflicts  them  in  any  way,  he  does  all  for  their  good.  Thus,  my 
dear  children,  are  we  to  view  the  removal  of  our  beloved  S.  This 
year  had  been  one  of  unusual  prosperity  and  enjoyment,  from  the 
first  day  to  the  present  month ;  and  all  seemed  so  lovely  here 
that  there  was  danger  of  our  feeling  too  much  reliance  on  these 
temporals.  The  gem  in  the  centre  has  been  removed,  to  show  us 
the  tenure  by  which  we  held  the  others." 

At  the  opening  of  the  year  1845,  Mr.  Lawrence, 
after  noting  in  his  property-book  the  usual  annual 
details,  makes  the  following  reflections  : 

"  The  business  of  the  past  year  has  been  eminently  successful, 
and  the  increased  value  of  many  of  the  investments  large.  In 
view  of  these  trusts,  how  shall  we  appear  when  the  Master  calls  ? 
I  would  earnestly  strive  to  keep  constantly  in  mind  the  fact  that 
he  will  call,  and  that  speedily,  upon  each  and  all  of  us ;  and  that, 
when  he  calls,  the  question  will  be,  How  have  you  used  these  ? 
not  How  much  have  you  hoarded  ?  " 

With  the  new  year,  he  set  himself  at  work  with 
renewed  zeal  to  carry  into  effect  his  good  resolutions. 
One  of  the  first  results  was  a  donation  of  ten  thousand 
dollars  to  Williams  College,  which  he  enters  upon  his 
book  with  the  following  memorandum  : 

"  I  am  so  well  satisfied  with  the  appropriations  heretofore  mado 


198  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

for  the  advancement  and  improvement  of  Williams  College  that  I 
desire  to  make  further  investment  in  the  same,  to  the  amount  of 
ten  thousand  dollars.  In  case  any  new  professorship  is  estab 
lished  in  the  college,  I  should  be  gratified  to  have  it  called  the 
Hopkins  Professorship,  entertaining,  as  I  do,  the  most  entire 
confidence  and  respect  for  its  distinguished  President." 

Nearly  every  day,  at  this  period,  bears  some  record 
of  his  charities  ;  and  among  others  was  a  considerable 
donation  to  a  Baptist  college,  in  another  State,  enclosed 
to  a  Baptist  clergyman  in  Boston,  with  a  check  of  fifty 
dollars  for  himself,  to  enable  him  to  take  a  journey  for 
recruiting  his  health  and  strength,  of  which  he  was 
much  in  need.  Soon  after  Mr.  Lawrence's  death,  an 
article  appeared  in  an  influential  religious  publication 
giving  an  estimate  of  the  amount  of  his  charities,  and 
also  stating  that  his  pocket-book  had  written  upon  it  a 
text  of  Scripture,  calculated  to  remind  him  of  his  duties 
in  the  distribution  of  his  wealth.  The  text  was  said  to 
be,  "  What  shall  it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole 
world,  and  lose  his  own  soul  ?  " 

After  making  diligent  search,  the  editor  of  this  vol 
ume,  rather  to  correct  the  statement  in  regard  to  the 
amount  of  his  charities  than  for  any  other  object,  con 
tradicted  the  assertion,  and  also  expressed  the  opinion 
that  Mr.  Lawrence  needed  no  such  memorial  as  this  to 
remind  him  of  his  duties  ;  for  the  law  of  charity  was 
too  deeply  graven  on  his  heart  to  require  the  insertion 
of  the  text  in  the  manner  described.  Some  time  after- 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  199 

ward,  an  old  pocket-book  was  found,  which  had  not 
probably  been  in  use  for  many  years,  but  which  con 
tained  the  text  alluded  to,  inscribed  in  ink,  though 
faded  from  the  lapse  of  time  and  constant  use.  It 
may  have  been  useful  to  him  in  early  years,  before  he 
engaged  systematically  in  the  work  of  charity  ;  but, 
during  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  if  we  can  judge 
from  his  writings,  as  well  as  from  his  daily  actions,  his 
sense  of  accountability  was  extreme,  if  there  can  be  an 
extreme  in  the  zealous  performance  of  one's  duty  in 
this  respect. 

If  the  class  of  politicians  alluded  to  in  the  following 
extract  could  have  foreseen  the  course  of  events  with 
the  same  sagacity,  it  might  have  saved  them  from  much 
uncertainty,  and  have  been  of  service  in  their  career  : 

"We  are  in  a  poor  way,  politically,  in  this  country.  This 
practice  of  taking  up  demagogues  for  high  office  is  no  way  to 
perpetuate  liberty.  The  new  party  of  Native  Americans  is  likely 
to  go  forward,  and  will  break  up  the  Whig  party,  and  where  it 
will  stop  is  to  be  learned." 

"March  1. —  Spring  opens  upon  us  this  morning  with  a 
frowning  face ;  the  whole  heaven  is  veiled,  and  the  horizon  dark 
and  lowering." 

"May  7.  —  My  venerated  mother  finished  her  earthly  course 
last  Friday,  with  the  setting  sun,  which  was  emblematic  of  her 
end.  She  was  such  a  woman  as  I  am  thankful  to  have  descended 
from.  Many  interesting  circumstances  connected  with  her  life, 


200  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

before  and  after  her  marriage  (in  July,  1777),  are  worth  record 
ing.     She  was  in  her  ninetieth  year."  * 

(TO  HIS  SON.) 

"  April  30. 

"I  began  a  record  yesterday  morning,  referring  to  my  position 
and  duties  thirty-eight  years  ago,  when  I  left  my  father's  house 
(one  week  after  I  was  free),  with  less  than  twenty  dollars  in  my 
possession.  I  came  an  unknown  and  unfriended  young  man,  but 
feeling  richer  the  morning  after  I  came  than  I  have  ever  felt 
since  ;  so  that  I  gave  the  man  who  came  with  me,  in  my  father's 
chaise,  a  couple  of  dollars  to  save  him  from  any  expense,  and 
insure  him  against  loss,  by  his  spending  two  days  on  the  journey, 
for  which  he  was  glad  of  an  excuse.  Had  he  been  as  industrious 
and  temperate  and  frugal,  he  would  have  left  his  wife  and  children 
independent,  instead  of  leaving  them  poor  and  dependent.  These 
contrasts,  and  the  duties  they  impose,  have  pressed  heavily  upon 
my  strength  for  a  few  days  past ;  and,  in  endeavoring  to  place  in 
a  clear  view  my  hopes  and  wishes,  I  became  pressed  down,  and, 
since  yesterday,  have  been  upon  my  abstinence  remedy.  My  wish 
has  been  to  do  a  good  work  for  our  Athenaeum  and  our  Institution 
for  Savings,  by  making  it  the  interest  of  the  Savings  Institution 
to  sell  their  building  to  the  Athenaeum,  so  that  a  handsome  and 
convenient  building  may  be  erected  while  we  are  about  it.  To 
this  end,  I  have  offered  to  supply  the  beautiful  temple  built  for 
the  Washington  Bank,  rent  free,  for  one  year,  or  a  longer  period 
to  the  end  of  time,  while  used  as  a  Savings  Bank ;  intending,  by 
this,  to  express  to  those  who  deposit  their  money  there  that  I  feel 
deeply  interested  in  their  welfare,  and  would  earnestly  impress 
upon  them  the  importance  of  saving,  and,  when  they  become  rich, 
of  spending  for  the  good  of  their  fellow-mortals  the  surplus  which 
a  bountiful  Father  in  heaven  allows  them  to  acquire.  This  sur- 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  201 

plus  with  me,  at  the  present  time,  will  be  sufficient  to  allow  me 
to  speak  with  earnestness,  sincerity,  and  power,  to  the  tens  of 
thousands  of  industrious  Thomases  and  Marthas,*  as  well  as  to 
the  young  mechanics,  or  the  youngsters  who  have  had  little  sums 
deposited  for  their  education.  All  these  characters  appreciate  a 
kind  act  as  fully  as  those  who  move  in  a  different  sphere  in  the 
world. 

"7  P.  M.  —  I  have  just  learned  that  there  is  some  difficulty 
not  easily  overcome  in  this  removal  of  the  Bank ;  and,  after  all, 
nothing  may  come  out  of  my  offer.  If  not,  I  shall  have  more 
spare  means  for  something  else." 

The  value  of  the  building  thus  offered  was  about 
twenty  thousand  dollars.  Owing  to  the  difficulties 
alluded  to  in  the  preceding  letter,  the  offer  was 
declined,  though  the  motive  for  the  act  was  fully 
appreciated. 

(TO   A   FRIEND.) 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  I  have  this  moment  learned  the  death 
of  your  dear  boy  J.  L.,  and  am  with  you  in  spirit  in  this  trying 
scene.  Our  Father  adapts  his  discipline  to  our  needs ;  and  in 
this  (although  to  our  weak  perception  it  may  seem  harsh  disci 
pline)  he  has  a  Father's  love  and  care  of  and  for  you ;  and  the 
time  will  come  when  all  will  be  made  clear  to  you.  In  this  trust 
and  confidence,  I  hope  both  your  dear  wife  and  self  will  be  able 
to  say  from  the  heart,  '  Thy  will  be  done.'  Our  business  in  this 
world  is  to  prepare  for  another ;  and,  if  we  act  wisely,  we  shall 
view  aright  the  calls  upon  us  to  make  this  world  our  great  object, 
by  attaining  its  honors,  its  houses,  its  lands,  its  praises  for  gener 
osity,  disinterestedness,  and  divers  other  things  that  pass  well 

*  Names  of  two  faithful  domestics. 
26 


202  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

among  men.  Where  we  hope  to  be  welcomed,  temptations  are  not 
needed.  We  pray,  therefore,  to  be  accepted,  through  the  Beloved, 
and  so  make  all  things  work  together  to  help  us  safely  through 
our  course.  Yours  ever,  A.  L." 

To  the  agent  of  a  manufactory  in  which  he  was 
largely  interested  he  writes  : 

"We  must  make  a  good  thing  out  of  this  establishment,  unless 
you  ruin  us  by  working  on  Sundays.  Nothing  but  works  of 
necessity  should  be  done  in  holy  time  ;  and  I  am  a  firm  believer 
in  the  doctrine  that  a  blessing  will  more  surely  follow  those  exer 
tions  which  are  made  with  reference  to  our  religious  obligations, 
than  upon  those  made  without  such  reference.  The  more  you  can 
impress  your  people  with  a  sense  of  religious  obligation,  the  better 
they  will  serve  you." 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

LETTER  FROM  DR.  SHARP.  —  ILLNESS  AND  DEATH   OP  SON.— 
LETTERS.  —AFFLICTIONS. 

THE  Rev.  Dr.  Sharp,  of  the  Baptist  denomination, 
who  has  been  previously  alluded  to  as  a  valued  friend 
of  Mr.  Lawrence,  had  made  a  visit  to  England,  the 
land  of  his  birth,  after  an  absence  of  forty  years,  and 
thus  addresses  him  from  Leeds,  July  1 : 

"  I  esteem  it  one  of  the  happy  events  of  my  life  that  I  have 
been  made  personally  acquainted  with  you.  Not  certainly 
because  of  your  kind  benefactions  to  me  and  mine,  but  because 
I  have  enjoyed  your  conversation,  and  have  been  delighted  with 
those  manifestations  of  principle  and  conduct,  which,  let  them 
grow  under  what  Christian  culture  they  may,  I  know  how  to 
honor,  to  acknowledge,  and  to  love." 

The  same  gentleman  writes,  shortly  afterwards  : 

"  I  thank  you  for  the  kind  manner  in  which  you  express  your 
self  in  regard  to  my  occasional  sermons.  I  never  had  any  taste 
for  controversy,  nor  for  theological  speculation ;  although,  as  a 
Christian  watchman,  I  have  kept  myself  informed  of  the  religious 
opinions  that  have  been,  and  that  are.  I  thank  you,  as  does  my 
dear  wife,  for  your  thoughtful  concern  of  the  sacred  spot  so  dear 

203 


204  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

both  to  my  recollections  and  hopes.  There,  when  life's  journey 
is  ended,  I  hope  to  rest  by  the  side  of  those  whose  company  and 
unfailing  affection  have  gladdened  so  many  of  my  years ;  and  it 
has  given  me  a  subdued  pleasure,  when  I  have  thought  that  my 
own  bed  of  death  would  be  so  near  that  of  the  kind  and  gentle- 
hearted  friend  who  provided  me  with  mine.  May  all  who  shall 
repose  near  that  interesting  spot  be  imbued  with  a  pure  and 
loving  Christian  spirit,  that,  when  the  trumpet  shall  sound,  and 
the  dead  shall  arise,  we  may  all  rise  together  in  glorious  forms, 
to  be  forever  with  the  Lord  ! " 


(TO   ONE   OF   HIS   PARTNERS.) 

"  Tremont-street,  September  30,  1845. 

"  DEAR  MR.  PARKER  :  I  am  buoyant  and  afloat  again,  and 
able  to  enjoy  the  good  things  you  are  so  liberal  in  providing. 
The  widow's  box  of  ointment  was  broken  before  its  value  was 
learned.  The  sermon  is  significant  and  practical.  I  would  be 
thankful  to  improve  under  its  teaching.  Will  you  send  me  two 
thousand  dollars  this  morning  in  Mr.  Sharp's  clean  money  ?  thus 
allowing  me  the  opportunity  of  expressing  my  gratitude  to  a 
merciful  Father  above,  that  he  still  permits  me  to  administer  the 
goods  things  he  has  intrusted  to  me.  Dear  R.  had  a  quiet  night, 
although  he  did  not  sleep  much  during  the  first  part.  This 
experience  is,  indeed,  the  most  trying ;  but  I  hope  to  be  able  to 
say  truly,  '  Thy  will  be  done.'  Your  friend, 

"A.  L. 

"  C.  H.  PARKER,  Esq." 

The  trying  experience  alluded  to  was  the  serious 
illness  of  his  youngest  son,  Robert,  then  a  member  of 
Harvard  College.  He  had  for  some  time  been  troubled 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  205 

by  a  cough,  which  had  now  become  alarming,  and 
excited  the  worst  apprehensions  of  his  friends.  In 
relation  to  this  sickness,  he  writes  several  letters  to  his 
son,  from  which  the  following  extracts  are  made  : 

"  October  15. 

"  We  are  in  great  anguish  of  spirit  on  account  of  dear  R. 
We  are  getting  reconciled  to  parting  with  the  dear  child,  and  to 
feel  that  he  has  done  for  us  what  any  parents  might  feel  thankful 
for,  by  living  a  good  life,  and  in  nineteen  years  giving  us  no 
cause  to  wish  any  one  of  them  blotted  out.  If  now  called  away, 
he  will  have  lived  a  long  life  in  a  few  years,  and  will  be  spared 
the  trials  and  sufferings  that  flesh  is  heir  to,  and  will  be  gathered 
like  early  fruit,  before  the  blight  or  frost  or  mildew  has  marked 

it." 

"  October  29. 

"  R.  remains  gradually  failing  with  consumption,  but  without 
much  suffering,  and  perfectly  aware  of  his  situation.  He  never 
appeared  so  lovely  as  he  has  on  his  sick  bed ;  so  that  his  happy 
spirit  and  resignation,  without  a  complaint  or  a  wish  that  any 
thing  had  been  done  differently,  keep  us  as  happy  as  we  can  be 
under  such  a  weight  of  apprehension  that  we  may  so  soon  part 
with  him.  He  asked  me  yesterday  what  I  should  write  to  you 
about  him.  I  told  him  I  should  say  that  he  was  very  sick,  and 
might  never  be  any  better ;  but  that  he  might  also  be  better  if  the 
great  Physician  saw  best,  as  it  is  only  for  him  to  speak,  and  the 
disease  would  be  cured.  If  he  were  taken  before  me,  I  told  him, 
it  would  be,  I  hoped,  to  welcome  me  to  the  company  of  the  loved 
ones  of  our  kindred  and  friends  who  have  gone  before,  and  to  the 
society  of  angels  and  just  men  made  perfect,  who  compose  the 
great  congregation  that  are  gathered  there  from  all  the  world, 


206  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

that  God's  love,  through  Christ,  has  redeemed.  God  so  loved 
the  world  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten  Son  to  redeem  it  from 
sin ;  and  his  teachings  should  not  be  lost  on  us,  while  we  have 
power  to  profit  by  them.  In  this  spirit,  we  talked  of  the  good 
men  whose  writings  have  an  influence  in  helping  on  this  good 
work ;  and  especially  we  talked  of  Dr.  Doddridge,  and  his  '  Rise 
and  Progress.' 

"  P.  M. —  I  have  been  with  M.  to  Brookline  since  writing  the 
above.  The  falling  leaves  teach  a  beautiful  lesson.  The  green 
leaf,  the  rose,  the  cypress,  now  enclosed  to  you,  and  all  from 
your  grounds,  are  instructive.  These  were  cut  within  the  last 
two  hours." 

"  November  1. 

"  Dear  R.  had  a  trying  day  yesterday,  and  we  thought  might 
not  continue  through  the  night.  He  is  still  alive,  and  may  con 
tinue  some  time ;  was  conscious  and  clear  in  his  mind  after  he 
revived  yesterday ;  feels  ready  and  willing  and  hoping  to  be  with 
his  Saviour." 

"  November  14. 

"  We  toil  for  treasure  through  our  years  of  active  labor,  and, 
when  acquired,  are  anxious  to  have  it  well  secured  against  the 
time  when  we  or  our  children  may  have  need  of  it ;  and  we  feel 
entire  confidence  in  this  security.  We  allow  the  common  flurries 
of  the  world  to  pass  by  without  disturbing  our  quiet  or  comfort 
essentially.  What  treasure  of  a  temporal  character  is  comparable 
with  a  child  who  is  everything  a  Christian  parent  could  desire, 
and  who  is  just  coming  into  mature  life  universally  respected  and 
beloved,  and  who  is  taken  before  any  cloud  or  spot  has  touched 
him,  and  who  has  left  bright  and  clear  marks  upon  those  who  have 
come  within  his  sphere  of  influence  ?  Such  was  R.  The  green 
earth  of  Mount  Auburn  covers  his  mortal  remains  ;  the  heavens 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  207 

above  have  his  immortal ;  he  was  a  ripe  child  of  God,  and  I  there 
fore  feel  that  blessed  assurance  of  entire  security  which  adds 
another  charm  to  that  blessed  company  to  which  I  hope,  through 
mercy,  to  be  admitted  in  our  Father's  own  good  time.  This  early 
death  of  our  beloved  youngest  comes  upon  us  as  an  additional  les 
son,  necessary,  without  doubt,  to  prepare  us  for  our  last  summons ; 
and  the  reasons  which  now  seem  mysterious  will  be  fully  under 
stood,  and  will  show  us  that  our  good  required  this  safe  keeping 
of  this  treasure,  so  liable  to  be  made  our  idol.  E.  had  passed  the 
dangerous  period  of  his  college  life  without  blemish,  and  was  only 
absent  from  prayers  three  times  (which  were  for  good  cause),  and 
had  a  settled  purpose,  from  the  beginning  of  his  college  life,  so  to 
conduct  in  all  respects  as  to  give  his  parents  no  cause  for  anxiety ; 
and,  for  the  last  year,  I  have  felt  perfectly  easy  in  regard  to  him. 
We  have  visited  his  grave  to-day.  The  teachings  there  are  such 
as  speak  to  the  heart  with  an  eloquence  that  language  cannot 
Dear  S.  and  R. !  She  the  only  daughter,  he  the  only  son  of  his 
mother  !  and  both  placed  there  since  you  left ! " 

"  November  22. 

"  President  H.,  in  a  letter  a  few  days  before  I  wrote  to  you, 
had  this  sentiment :  *  The  old  oak,  shorn  of  its  green  branches,  is 
more  liable  to  decay.'  Applying  this  to  the  old  oak  fronting  the 
graves  of  those  loved  ones  who  have  passed  on,  the  outspread 
branches  of  which  make  the  spot  more  lovely,  I  was  more  deeply 
impressed  than  mere  words  could  have  impressed  me.  A  fevr 
months  after  the  death  of  S.,  a  violent  storm  tore  off  a  main  limb 
of  the  old  oak  about  midway  between  the  ground  and  the  top,  in 
such  way  as  to  mar  its  beauty,  and  endanger  its  life.  The  limb 
fell  upon  the  graves,  but  avoided  the  injury  to  the  monuments 
which  might  have  been  expected.  Since  then,  I  noticed  that  some 


208  DIAEY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

of  the  lower  limbs  cast  a  sort  of  blight  or  mildew  upon  the  pure 
white  of  your  mother's  monument,  and  they  required  dressing. 
I  desired  the  '  master '  to  do  this,  and  also  to  come  and  heal  the 
wound  occasioned  by  the  loss  of  this  main  limb  on  that  side  of  the 
tree.  The  trimming  out  was  done  at  once ;  the  other  was  left 
undone  until  the  request  was  renewed.  On  my  visit  there  last 
week,  I  discovered,  for  the  first  time,  that  the  wound  had  been 
healed,  and  the  body  of  the  tree  appeared  smooth,  and  of  its 
natural  color,  and  its  health  such  as  to  give  good  hope  that  its 
other  branches  will  spread  out  their  shade  more  copiously  than 
before.  What  a  lesson  was  here  !  The  appeal  was  to  the  heart ; 
and,  in  my  whole  life,  I  remember  none  more  eloquent.  To-day 
I  have  been  to  Mount  Auburn  again ;  and  the  spot  seems  to  be 
c  none  other  than  the  gate  of  heaven.' ': 

"  December  22. 

"  Twenty-five  years  ago  this  morning,  I  came  home  from 
Plymouth,  where  I  had  spent  the  night  previous,  and  heard  Web 
ster's  great  address.  He  has  never  done  anything  to  surpass  it ; 
and  it  now  is  a  model  and  a  text  for  the  youth  of  our  country. 
The  people  who  then  were  present  are  principally  taken  hence ; 
and  the  consideration  of  how  the  time  allowed  has  been  spent,  and 
how  it  now  fares  with  us,  is  of  deep  interest.  God  in  mercy 
grant  us  to  act  our  part  so  as  to  meet  his  approval,  when  called  to 
answer  for  the  trust  in  our  hands !  I  have  thought  of  the 
emblem  of  the  *  old  oak,'  till  it  has  assumed  a  beauty  almost 
beyond  anything  in  nature  ;  and,  if  I  live  to  see  the  fresh  leaves 
of  spring  spreading  their  covering  over  the  head  of  the  stranger 
or  the  friend  who  may  stop  under  its  shade,  I  will  have  a  sketch 
of  the  spot  painted,  if  the  right  person  can  be  found.  There  is 
in  the  spot  and  scene  a  touching  eloquence  that  language  can 
scarcely  communicate.  The  dear  child's  expressive  look,  and 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  209 

motion  of  his  finger,  when  he  said  '  I  am  going  up,'  will  abide 
with  me  while  I  live.  The  dealings  of  a  Father  with  me  have 
been  marked,  but  ofttimes  mysterious  for  a  season.  Now  many 
things  are  clear ;  and  all  others  will  be,  I  trust,  when  I  am  fitted 
to  know  them." 

(TO   HIS    GRANDSON.) 

"  BOSTON,  December  30,  1845. 

"  MY  DEAR  F.  :  Your  charming  letter  of  28th  November 
reached  me  by  last  steamer,  and  showed,  in  a  practical  way,  how 
important  the  lessons  of  childhood  are  to  the  proper  performance 
of  the  duties  of  manhood.  It  carried  me  back  to  the  time  when 
my  own  mother  taught  me,  and,  from  that  period,  forward 
through  the  early  lessons  inculcated  upon  your  father,  and 
especially  to  the  time  when  he  began  to  write  me  letters,  which  I 
always  encouraged  him  in,  and  thus  formed  a  habit  which  has 
been  the  best  security  for  our  home  affections  that  can  be  devised 
when  separated  from  those  most  dear  to  us.  If  the  prayers  and 
labors  of  your  ancestors  are  answered  by  your  good  progress  and 
good  conduct  in  the  use  of  the  privileges  you  enjoy,  you  will 
come  forth  a  better  and  more  useful  man  than  any  of  the  genera 
tions  preceding ;  for  you  enjoy  advantages  that  none  of  us  have 
enjoyed.  My  heart  beats  quicker  and  stronger  whenever  I  think 
of  you :  and  my  prayers  ascend  for  you  at  all  hours,  and  through 
every  scene  connecting  us.  Last  Saturday.  I  had  the  first  sleigh- 
ride  of  the  season.  The  day  was  beautiful ;  and  there  was  just 
snow  enough  to  make  the  sleigh  run  smoothly.  I  visited  Mount 
Auburn ;  and  the  day  and  place,  the  '  old  oak  '  standing  in  front 
of  our  graves  leafless  and  apparently  almost  lifeless,  spoke  to  me 
a  language  as  intelligible  as  if  utterance  had  been  given  in 
sounds.  I  thought  of  you,  dear  F.,  as  my  eldest  grandson,  and 
27 


210  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

in  a  manner  the  representative  of  the  family  to  future  times,  and 
asked  myself  whether  I  was  doing  all  I  ought  to  make  you  feel 
the  force  of  your  trusts.  There  lie  the  mortal  parts  of  your  dear 
aunt  and  uncle,  both  placed  there  since  you  left  home ;  and  the 
spirits  of  both,  I  trust,  are  now  rejoicing  with  the  multitude  of 
the  beloved  ones,  whose  work  here  is  well  done,  and  whom  the 
Saviour  has  bid  to  '  come  unto  him,'  and  through  whom  they 
hoped  to  be  accepted.  Dear  R.  seems  to  call  to  us  to  i  come  up  ; ' 
and,  whether  I  ever  see  you  again  or  not,  I  pray  you  never  to 
forget  that  he  was  such  an  uncle  as  you  might  well  feel  anxious 
to  copy  in  your  conduct  to  your  parents ;  for  he  had  a  settled 
principle  to  do  nothing  to  cause  his  parents  anxiety.  So,  if  you 
see  your  young  companions  indulging  in  any  evil  practices  which 
may  lead  to  bad  habits,  avoid  them ;  for  prevention  is  better  than 
remedy.  When  you  stand  near  the  'old  oak,'  whether  its 
branches  are  green  with  shady  leaves,  or  dry  from  natural  decay, 
let  it  speak  to  your  conscience,  l  Come  up,'  and  receive  the  reward 
promised  to  the  faithful. 

"  Ever  your  affectionate  grandfather,  A.  L." 

The  year  1845  closed  with  many  sad  recollections  ; 
and  nearly  every  letter  written  at  this  period  dwells 
upon  the  mournful  events  which  had  marked  its  course. 
In  one  letter,  he  says,  "  Death  has  cut  right  and  left 
in  my  family/'  In  a  little  more  than  twelve  months, 
ten  of  his  own  immediate  family  and  near  connections 
were  removed,  and  most  of  them  when  least  expected. 
Although  bowed  down,  and  penetrated  with  grief  at 
each  successive  blow,  there  was  a  deep-seated  principle 
in  Mr.  Lawrence's,  heart,  which  made  him  rise  above 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  211 

them  all,  and  receive  each  call  in  that  spirit  of  submis 
sion  which  the  Christian  faith  alone  can  give.  His 
own  sorrows  seemed  only  to  augment  his  sympathy  for 
the  woes  of  others,  and  to  excite  him  to  renewed  efforts 
in  the  great  cause  of  charity  and  truth,  to  which  he 
had  consecrated  every  talent  he  possessed.  In  this 
spirit  he  makes  an  entry  in  his  memorandum-book  on 
the  first  day  of  the  opening  year. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

EXPENDITURES.  — LETTERS.  — DONATION  FOR  LIBRARY  AT  WILLIAMS 
COLLEGE.— VIEWS  ON  STUDY  OF  ANATOMY. 

"January  1,  1846.  — THE  business  of  the  past  year  has  been 
very  prosperous  in  our  country ;  and  my  own  duties  seem  more 
clearly  pointed  out  than  ever  before.  What  am  I  left  here  for, 
and  the  young  branches  taken  home  ?  Is  it  not  to  teach  me  the 
danger  of  being  unfaithful  to  my  trusts  ?  Dear  R.  taken  !  the 
delight  of  my  eyes,  a  treasure  secured  !  which  explains  better 
than  in  any  other  way  what  my  Father  sees  me  in  need  of.  I 
hope  to  be  faithful  in  applying  some  of  my  trusts  to  the  uses  God 
manifestly  explains  to  me  by  his  dealings.  I  repeat,  '  Thy  will 
be  done.' " 

That  his  trusts,  so  far  as  the  use  of  his  property 
was  concerned,  were  faithfully  performed,-  may  be 
inferred  from  the  fact  that,  in  July,  or  at  the  termina 
tion  of  the  half-year,  in  making  up  his  estimate  of 
income  and  expenditures,  he  remarks  that  the  latter 
are  nearly  twenty  thousand  dollars  in  advance  of  the 
former. 

Mr.  Lawrence  was  often  much  disturbed  by  the  pub 
licity  which  attended  his  benevolent  operations.  There 
are,  perhaps,  thousands  of  the  recipients  of  his  favors 

212 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  213 

now  living,  who  alone  are  cognizant  of  his  bounty 
towards  themselves  ;  but  when  a  public  institution 
became  the  subject  of  his  liberality,  the  name  of  the 
donor  could  not  so  easily  be  concealed.  The  following 
letter  will  illustrate  the  mode  which  he  sometimes  was 
obliged  to  adopt  to  avoid  that  publicity ;  and  it  was 
his  custom  not  unfrequently  to  contribute  liberally  to 
objects  of  charity  through  some  person  on  whom  he 
wished  the  credit  of  the  donation  to  fall. 

(TO   PRESIDENT   HOPKINS.) 

"  BOSTON,  Jan.  26,  1846. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  Since  Saturday,  I  have  thought  much 
of  the  best  mode  of  helping  your  college  to  a  library  building 
without  getting  into  the  newspapers,  and  have  concluded  that 
you  had  better  assume  the  responsibility  of  building  it ;  and,  if 
anybody  objects  that  you  can't  afford  it,  you  may  say  you  have 
friends  whom  you  hope  to  have  aid  from  ;  and  I  will  be  respons 
ible  to  you  for  the  cost  to  an  amount  not  exceeding  five  thousand 
dollars ;  so  that  you  may  feel  at  liberty  to  prepare  such  a  build 
ing  as  you  will  be  satisfied  with,  and  which  will  do  credit  to  your 
taste  and  judgment  fifty  years  hence.  If  I  am  taken  before  this  is 
finished,  which  must  be  this  year,  my  estate  will  be  answerable, 
as  I  have  made  an  entry  in  my  book,  stating  the  case.  I  had 
written  a  longer  story,  after  you  left  me,  on  Saturday  evening, 
but  have  laid  it  aside  to  hand  you  this,  with  best  wishes,  and  that 
all  may  be  done  i  decently  and  in  order.'  I  will  pay  a  thousand 
or  two  dollars  whenever  it  is  wanted  for  the  work. 

"Your  friend,  A.  L." 

Mr.    Lawrence   had   read    in   the    newspapers    the 


214  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

memorial  to  Congress  of  Mrs.  Martha  Gray,  widow  of 
Captain  Robert  Gray,  the  well-known  navigator,  who 
discovered,  first  entered,  and  gave  its  present  name  to 
the  Columbia  River.  Captain  Gray  had  been  in  the 
naval  service  of  his  country ;  and  his  widow,  who  had 
survived  him  for  forty  years,  amidst  many  difficulties 
and  struggles  for  support,  petitioned  for  a  pension,  in 
consideration  of  the  important  discovery,  and  for  the 
services  rendered  by  her  husband.  Mr.  Lawrence 
sent  to  Mrs.  Gray  a  memorial  of  his  regard,  with  the 
following  note  : 

u  Asa  token  of  respect  to  the  widow  of  one  whose  name  and 
fame  make  a  part  of  the  property  of  every  American  who  has  a 
true  heart,  will  Mrs.  Gray  accept  the  accompanying  trifle  from 
one,  who,  though  personally  unknown,  felt  her  memorial  to 
Congress  through  every  nerve,  and  will  hope  to  be  allowed  the 
pleasure  of  paying  his  rejects  in  person  when  his  health 
permits." 

About  the  same  date,  he  says  to  President  Hopkins  : 

"  I  am  happily  employed,  these  days,  in  administering  upon  my 
own  earnings,  and  have  hope  of  hearing  soon  from  you  and  your 
good  work.  I  am  still  on  my  good  behavior,  but  have  been  able 
to  chat  a  little  with  Mr.  D.,  and  administer  to  His  Excellency 
Governor  Briggs,  who  has  had  a  severe  trial  of  fever  and  ague. 
On  Saturday  he  rode  an  hour  with  me,  and  returned  with  his 
face  shortened  considerably.  I  can  only  say  to  you  that  I  believe 
I  am  left  here  to  do  something  more  to  improve  and  help  on  the 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  215 

brethren  and  sons  who  have  more  mind  and  less  money  than  I 
have ;  but  the  precise  way  to  do  it  is  not  so  clear  to  me  as  it  may 
be  by  and  by." 

After  receiving  the  proposed  plan  of  the  library 
which  he  had  authorized  to  be  built  at  Williams  Col 
lege,  Mr.  Lawrence  writes  to  the  same,  on  May  15  : 

"  I  left  off,  after  a  brief  note  to  you,  three  hours  since,  fur 
nishing  you  a  text  on  epicureanism  to  preach  from,  which  I  trust 
will  find  favor  and  use. 

"What  think  you?  Why,  that  I  am  interfering  m  your 
business.  When  I  awoke  this  morning,  thinks  I  to  myself,  My 
friend  won't  have  elbow-room  in  the  centre  of  his  octagon ;  and, 
as  there  is  plenty  of  land  to  build  upon,  he  may  as  well  make  his 
outside  to  outside  fifty  feet  as  forty-four  feet,  and  thus  give  him 
self  more  space  in  the  centre.  The  alcoves  appear- to  me  to  be 
very  nice ;  and,  in  the  matter  of  expense,  my  young  friend  A.  L. 
H.  will  see  to  that,  to  the  tune  of  one  or  two  thousand  dollars. 
So  you  may  feel  yourself  his  representative  in  acting  in  this 
matter." 

"April  22. — My  birth-day!  Three-score  years  old!  My 
life,  hanging  by  a  thread  for  years,  and  apparently,  at  times, 
within  a  few  hours  of  its  close,  still  continued,  while  so  many 
around  in  the  prime  of  life  and  vigor  have  been  called  away  !  " 

(TO  A  FRIEND.) 

"  Tremont-street,  April,  1846. 

"MY  FRIEND  -  — :  I  have  arisen  after  my  siesta,  and,  as 
the  Quakers  say,  am  moved  by  the  spirit  to  speak.  So  you  will 


216  DIARY     AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

give  what  I  have  to  say  the  value  you  consider  it  worth.  And,  in 
the  first  place,  I  will  say,  that  this  period  of  the  year  is  so  full 
of  deeply-interesting  memories  of  the  past,  that  I  hardly  know 
where  to  begin.  From  my  earliest  days,  the  story  of  the  intelli 
gence  reaching  Groton  at  ten  o'clock  on  the  19th  April,  1775, 
that  the  British  were  coming,  was  a  most  interesting  one.  My 
father  mounted  Gen.  Prescott's  horse,  and  rode,  at  a  speed  which 
young  men  even  of  the  present  day  would  think  rapid,  to  the 
south  end  of  the  town,  by  Sandy  Pond,  and  notified  the  minute- 
men  to  assemble  at  the  centre  of  the  town  forthwith.  He  made 
a  range  of  seven  miles,  calling  on  all  the  men,  and  was  back  at 
his  father's  house  in  forty  minutes.  At  one  o'clock,  p.  M.,  the 
company  was  in  readiness  to  march,  and  under  way  to  Concord 
to  meet  the  British.  They  kept  on  until  they  reached  Cam 
bridge  ;  but,  before  that,  they  had  seen  and  heard  all  that  had 
been  done  by  the  troops  sent  out  to  Concord.  The  plough  was 
left  in  the  field ;  and  my  grandfather,  with  his  horse  and  wagon, 
brought  provisions  to  his  neighbors  and  his  son  shortly  after.  My 
grandmother  on  my  mother's  side,  then  living  in  Concord,  has 
described  to  me  over  and  over  again  the  appearance  of  the 
British,  as  she  first  saw  them  coming  over  the  hill  from  Lincoln, 
about  two  miles  from  the  centre  of  Concord  ;  the  sun  just  rising  ; 
aad  the  red  coats,  glittering  muskets,  and  fearful  array,  so  capti 
vating  to  us  in  peace-times,  appearing  to  her  as  the  angel  of 
destruction,  to  be  loathed  and  hated.  She  therefore  left  her  house 
with  her  children  (the  house  was  standing  within  the  last  thirty 
years,  and  may  be  now,  near  the  turn  to  go  through  Bedford, 
half  a  mile  or  more  this  side  of  Concord  meeting-house),  and  went 
through  the  fields,  and  over  the  hills,  to  a  safe  place  of  retreat. 
The  British,  you  are  aware,  on  their  retreat,  had  a  hard  time  of 
it.  They  were  shot  down  like  wild  game,  and  left  by  the  way- 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  217 

side  to  die  or  be  taken  up  as  it  might  happen.  Three  thus  left 
within  gun-shot  of  my  grandmother's  house  were  taken  up,  and 
died  in  the  course  of  a  very  few  hours.  But  what  I  am  coming  to 
is  this  :  Lord  Percy,  you  know,  was  sent  out  from  Boston  with 
a  strong  body  of  troops  to  protect  those  first  sent  out ;  and,  but 
for  this,  the  whole  would  have  been  destroyed  or  made  prisoners. 
About  three  years  ago,  Lord  Prudhoe,  second  son  of  Lord  Percy, 
was  here ;  and  I  had  considerable  delightful  intercourse  with  him. 
He,  as  you  may  well  suppose,  was  deeply  interested  in  all  that 
related  to  his  father ;  and  I  met  him  in  the  library  at  Cambridge, 
where  he  was  very  observant  of  the  order  and  arrangement,  and 
especially  of  the  curious  old  documents  and  books,  so  nicely 
arranged,  touching  the  early  history  of  the  province.  After  leav 
ing  Cambridge,  he  went  to  Mr.  Cushing's  and  Mr.  Pratt's,  at 
Watertown,  and  was  much  interested  in  all  that  we  in  this  city 
are  proud  of.  I  had  not  strength  to  be  devoted  to  him  more  than 
an  hour  or  two  at  a  time,  having  then  some  other  strangers  under 
my  care,  belonging  to  Gov.  Colebrooke's  family,  Lady  Colebrooke 
being  a  niece  of  Major  Andre ;  so  that  I  had  only  some  half- 
dozen  interviews  with  him,  all  of  which  were  instructive  and 
interesting." 

The  dissection  of  human  bodies  by  medical  students 
has  always  been  a  subject  of  deep-rooted  prejudice  in 
New  England  ;  and,  even  to  this  day,  it  exists  in  so 
great  a  degree  that  the  facilities  for  this  important  and 
absolutely  essential  branch  of  instruction  are  not  nearly 
as  great  as  they  should  be,  nor  such  as  are  afforded  in 
the  schools  of  other  countries.  When  these  difficulties 
shall  be  removed,  and  the  prejudice  allayed  against  the 

28 


218  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

acquisition  of  a  kind  of  knowledge  which  it  is  of  the 
utmost  interest  to  every  one  that  the  surgeon  and 
physician  shall  receive,  many  young  men  will  remain 
at  home,  and  acquire  that  education  which,  with  few 
exceptions,  might  be  attained  here  as  well  as  by  a  resort 
to  foreign  schools.  In  this  prejudice  Mr.  Lawrence 
could  not  sympathize,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  following 
extract  of  a  letter  to  a  friend 

#  *  *  *  #  * 

"  Many  years  ago,  there  was  a  great  stir,  on  account  of  graves 
being  robbed  for  subjects  for  dissection,  and  some  laws  were 
passed :  the  want  became  so  pressing,  that  subjects  were  brought 
from  a  long  distance,  and  in  a  very  bad  state.  Dr.  Warren  was 
attending  me,  and  said  he  had  invited  the  Legislature,  then  in 
session,  to  attend  a  lecture  in  the  Medical  College.  He  told  me 
he  intended  to  explain  the  necessity  of  having  fit  subjects,  he 
having  been  poisoned  in  his  lecture  to  his  students  a  few  days 
before,  and  was  then  suffering  from  it.  He  invited  me  also  to 
attend,  which  I  did,  and  took  with  me  my  precious  boy  R. 
While  lecturing,  the  doctor  had  a  man's  hand,  which  he  had  just 
taken  off  at  the  hospital,  brought  in,  nicely  wrapped  up  in  a  wet 
cloth,  by  his  son  J.  M.  W.,  then  a  youngster.  There  were 
present  about  two  hundred  representatives  ;  and,  as  soon  as  they 
saw  the  real  hand,  two  or  three  fainted  nearly  away,  and  a  half- 
dozen  or  more  made  their  escape  from  the  room.  The  scene  was 
so  striking,  that  I  told  Dr.  Warren  it  was  a  pity  that  such  a 
prejudice  should  exist :  and,  as  I  was  desirous  to  be  of  use  as  far 
as  in  my  power,  and  probably  should  be  a  good  subject  for  him,  I 
would  gladly  have  him  use  me  in  the  way  to  instruct  the  young 
men ;  but  to  take  care  of  my  remains,  and  have  them  consumed 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  219 

or  buried,  unless  my  bones  were  kept.  I  also  told  him  that  I 
desired  very  much  to  have  this  false  feeling  corrected,  and  per 
haps  my  example  might  do  something  toward  it.  Some  time 

afterwards,  I  spoke  to upon  the  subject ;  but  I  found  it  gave 

pain,  and  the  plan  was  given  up.        *         *         *         A.  L." 

"  Outward  gains  are  ordinarily  attended  with  inward  losses. 
He  indeed  is  rich  in  grace  whose  graces  are  not  hindered  by 
his  riches." 

In  a  letter,  dated  June  3,  Mr.  Lawrence  bears  testi 
mony  to  the  character  and  services  of  the  late  Louis 
Dwight,  so  long  and  favorably  known  as  the  zealous 
Secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  Prison  Discipline 
Society  : 

"  I  have  this  moment  had  an  interview  with  Louis  Dwight, 
who  leaves  for  Europe  in  two  days.  My  labors  and  experience 
with  him  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  enable  me  to  testify  to 
his  ability,  and  unceasing  efforts  in  the  cause." 

"May  27,  1846.  —  The  following  commentary*  on  the  Lec 
tures  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  accompanied  their  return  to  me 

from  one  to  whom  I  had  loaned  the  volume.  I  have  now  no 
recollection  who  the  person  is  ;  but  the  words  are  full,  and  to  the 
point : 

11  'This  sucking  the  marrow  all  out  of  our  Bible,  and  leaving 
it  as  dry  as  a  husk,  pray  what  good  to  man,  or  honor  to  God, 
does  that  do  ?  If  we  are  going  to  fling  away  the  old  book  from 
which  ten  thousand  thousand  men  have  drawn  and  are  still  draw- 

*  Supposed  to  be  by  Hon.  Jeremiah  Mason. 


220  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

ing  the  life  of  their  souls,  then  let  us  stand  boldly  up,  and  fling 
it  away,  cover  and  all ;  unless,  indeed,  a  better  way  would  be  to 
save  the  boards  and  gilding,  and  make  a  family  checker-board 
of  it.'  " 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

DONATION  TO  LAWRENCE  ACADEMY.  —  CORRESPONDENCE  WITH 
R.  G.  PARKER.  —  SLEIGH-RIDES.  —  LETTERS.  —AVERSION  TO  NOTO 
RIETY.  —  CHILDREN'S  HOSPITAL. 

MR.  LAWRENCE  had  always  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
the  academy  at  Groton,  of  which  he,  with  all  his 
brothers  and  sisters,  had  been  members.  The  resi 
dence  of  his  former  master,  James  Brazer,  Esq., 
with  whom  he  lived  when  an  apprentice,  bordered  on 
the  academy  grounds.  It  was  a  large,  square,  old- 
fashioned  house,  and  easily  convertible  to  some  useful 
purpose,  whenever  the  growing  prosperity  of  the  insti 
tution  should  require  it.  He  accordingly  purchased  the 
estate  ;  and,  in  July,  1846,  presented  it  to  the  Board 
of  Trustees  by  a  deed,  with  the  following  preamble  : 

"  To  all  persons  to  whom  these,  presents  shall  come,  I,  Amos 
Lawrence,  of  the  City  of  Boston,  in  the  County  of  Suffolk,  and 
Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  Esquire,  send  greeting : 

"  Born  and  educated  in  Groton,  in  the  County  of  Middlesex,  in 
said  Commonwealth,  and  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  of  that 
town,  and  especially  of  the  Lawrence  Academy,  established  in  it 
by  my  honored  father,  Samuel  Lawrence,  and  his  worthy  associ 
ates,  and  grateful  for  the  benefits  which  his  and  their  descendants 

221 


222  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

have  derived  from  that  institution,  I  am  desirous  to  promote  its 
future  prosperity ;  trusting  that  those  charged  with  the  care  and 
superintendence  of  it  will  ever  strive  zealously  and  faithfully  to 
maintain  it  as  a  nursery  of  piety  and  sound  learning." 

This  had  been  preceded  by  a  donation  of  two  thou 
sand  dollars,  with  smaller  gifts,  at  various  dates,  of 
valuable  books,  a  telescope,  etc.,  besides  the  foundation 
of  several  free  scholarships.  The  present  prosperity  of 
the  academy  is,  however,  mainly  due  to  his  brother, 
William  Lawrence,  who  has  been  by  far  its  greatest 
benefactor  ;  having,  in  1844,  made  a  donation  of  ten 
thousand  dollars,  followed  by  another,  in  1846,  of  five 
thousand,  and,  finally,  by  will,  bequeathed  to  it  the 
sum  of  twenty  thousand.  The  following  memoranda 
are  copied  from  Mr.  Lawrence's  donation-book  : 

" August  20,  1847.  —  I  have  felt  a  deep  interest  in  Groton 
Academy  for  a  long  time :  and  while  brother  L.  was  living,  and 
its  president,  he  had  it  in  charge  to  do  what  should  be  best  to 
secure  its  greatest  usefulness,  and,  while  perfecting  these  plans,  he 
was  suddenly  taken  from  this  world.  Since  then,  I  have  kept  on 
doing  for  it ;  which  makes  my  outlay  for  the  school  about  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  I  had  prepared  ten  thousand  dollars  more,  which 
brother  William  has  assumed,  and  has  taken  the  school  upon  him 
self,  to  give  it  such  facilities  as  will  make  it  a  very  desirable  place 
for  young  men  to  enter  to  get  a  good  preparation  for  business  or 
college  life." 

In  an  address  *  delivered  at  the  jubilee  celebration 

*  See  account  of  Jubilee  of  Lawrence  Academy. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  223 

of  the  Lawrence  Academy,  held  in  Groton,  July  12, 
1854,  the  Rev.  James  Means,  a  former  preceptor  of  the 
Institution,  thus  speaks  of  the  benefactions  of  the  two 
brothers  : 

"  It  was  my  good  fortune,  after  becoming  the  preceptor,  in 
1845,  to  have  frequent  intercourse  with  them  in  this  particular 
regard, —  the  interests  of  the  school.  I  shall  never  forget  the  im 
pression  made  upon  my  mind  by  the  depth  of  their  feeling,  and  the 
strength  of  their  attachment.  They  were  both  of  them  men  of 
business  ;  had  been  trained  to  business  habits,  and  would  not  fool 
ishly  throw  away  the  funds  which  God  had  intrusted  to  them  as 
stewards.  But  it  seemed  to  me  then,  as  the  event  has  proved, 
that  they  were  willing  to  go  as  far  as  they  could  see  their  way 
clear  before  them  to  establish  this  school  on  a  foundation  that 
never  should  be  shaken. 

"•  There  was  a  singular  difference  in  the  character  of  these  two 
brothers,  and  there  is  a  similar  difference  in  the  results  of  their 
benefactions.  I  have  reason  personally  to  know  that  they  con 
ferred  frequently  and  earnestly  respecting  the  parts  which  they 
should  severally  perform  in  upbuilding  this  school.  There  was  an 
emulation ;  but  there  was  no  selfishness,  there  was  no  difference  of 
opinion.  Both  loved  the  academy,  both  wished  to  bless  it  and 
make  it  a  blessing ;  each  desired  to  accommodate  the  feelings  of 
the  other,  each  was  unwilling  to  interfere  with  the  other,  each 
was  ready  to  do  what  the  other  declined.  Out  of  more  than  forty- 
five  thousand  dollars  provided  for  the  academy  by  Mr.  William 
Lawrence,  forty  thousand  still  remain  in  the  hands  of  the  trustees 
for  purposes  of  instruction.  Of  the  library  Mr.  Amos  Lawrence 
says,  in  one  of  his  letters :  '  I  trust  it  will  be  second  to  no  other  in 
the  country  except  that  of  Cambridge,  and  that  the  place  will 


224  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

become  a  favorite  resort  of  students  of  all  ages  before  anotier  fifty 
years  have  passed  away.  When  he  presented  a  cabinet  of  medals, 
he  writes,  1 1  present  them  to  the  Institution  in  the  name  of  my 
grandsons,  F.  W.  and  A.  L.,  in  the  hope  and  expectation  of  im 
planting  among  their  early  objects  of  regard  this  school,  so  dear 
to  us  brothers  of  the  old  race,  and  which  was  more  dear  to  our 
honored  father,  who  labored  with  his  hands,  and  gave  from  his 
scanty  means,  in  the  beginning,  much  more  in  proportion  than 
we  are  required  to  do,  if  we  place  it  at  the  head  of  this  class  of 
institutions,  by  furnishing  all  it  can  want.' ' 

At  the  same  celebration,  the  Hon.  John  P.  Bigelow, 
president  of  the  day,  in  his  opening  address,  said  : 

"  Charles  Sprague,  so  loved  and  so  honored  as  a  man  and  a 
poet,  was  an  intimate  friend  of  the  lamented  William  and  Amos 
Lawrence.  I  invited  him  hither  to-day.  He  cannot  come,  but 
sends  a  minstrel's  tribute  to  their  memory,  from  a  harp,  which,  till 
now,  has  been  silent  for  many  years. 

*  These,  these  no  marble  columns  need: 
Their  monument  is  in  the  deed  ; 
A  moral  pyramid,  to  stand 
As  long  as  wisdom  lights  the  land. 
The  granite  pillar  shall  decay, 
The  chisel's  beauty  pass  away  ; 
But  this  shall  last,  in  strength  sublime, 
Unshaken  through  the  storms  of  time.'  " 

On  July  15,  Mr.  Lawrence  made  a  considerable 
donation  of  books  to  the  Johnson  School  for  girls, 
accompanied  by  a  note  to  R.  G.  Parker,  Esq.,  the 
Principal,  from  which  the  following  extract  is  taken : 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  225 

"  The  sleigh-ride  comes  to  me  as  though  daguerreotyped,  and  I 
can  hardly  realize  that  I  am  here  to  enjoy  still  further  the  com 
fort  that  I  then  enjoyed.  If  the  pupils  of  your  school  at  that 
time  were  gratified,  I  was  more  than  satisfied,  and  feel  myself  a 
debtor  to  your  school  of  this  day ;  and,  in  asking  you  to  accept, 
for  the  use  of  the  five  hundred  dear  girls  who  attend  upon  your 
instruction,  such  of  the  books  accompanying  as  you  think  proper 
for  them,  I  only  pay  a  debt  which  I  feel  to  be  justly  due.  The 
Johnson  School  is  in  my  own  district ;  and  many  a  time,  as  I 
have  passed  it  in  my  rides,  have  I  enjoyed  the  appropriate  anima 
tion  and  glee  they  have  manifested  in  their  gambols  and  sports 
during  their  intermission,  and  have  felt  as  though  I  would  gladly 
be  among  them  to  encourage  them.  Say  to  them,  although  per 
sonally  unknown,  I  have  looked  on,  and  felt  as  though  I  wanted 
to  put  my  hand  upon  their  heads,  and  give  them  a  word  of 
counsel,  encouragement,  and  my  blessing.  This  is  what  I  am  left 
here  for ;  and,  when  the  Master  calls,  if  I  am  only  well  enough 
prepared  to  pass  examination,  and  receive  the  '  Well  done  '  prom 
ised  to  such  as  are  faithful,  then  I  may  feel  that  all  things  here 
are  less  than  nothing  in  comparison  to  the  riches  of  the  future." 

The  allusion  to  the  sleigh-ride  was  called  forth  by  a 
note  received  from  Mr.  Parker  a  day  or  two  before,  in 
which  that  gentleman  writes  : 

"  As  you  have  not  the  credit  of  a  very  good  memory,  so  far 
as  your  own  good  actions  are  concerned,  it  will  be  proper  that  I 
should  remind  you  that  the  occasion  to  which  I  refer  was  the  time 
that  the  pupils  of  the  Franklin  School  were  about  enjoying  a 
Bleigh-ride,  from  which  pleasure  a  large  number  were  excluded. 
On  that  occasion,  as  you  were  riding  by,  you  were  induced  to 
29 


226  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

inquire  the  reason  of  the  exclusion  of  so  many  sad  little  faces  ; 
and,  on  learning  that  their  inability  to  contribute  to  the  expense 
of  the  excursion  would  cause  them  to  be  left  behind,  you  very 
generously  directed  that  all  should  be  furnished  with  seats,  and  a 
draft  made  upon  you  for  the  additional  expense." 

To  a  fondness  for  children,  there  seemed  to  be  united 
in  Mr.  Lawrence  a  constant  desire  to  exert  an  influence 
upon  the  youthful  mind  ;  and  rarely  was  the  oppor 
tunity  passed  over,  when,  by  a  word  of  advice  or 
encouragement,  or  the  gift  of  an  appropriate  book,  he 
thought  he  could  effect  his  object.  His  person  was 
well  known  to  the  boys  and  girls  who  passed  him  in 
the  streets  ;  and,  in  the  winter  season,  his  large,  open 
sleigh  might  often  be  seen  filled  with  his  youthful 
friends,  whom  he  had  allowed  to  crowd  in  to  the 
utmost  capacity  of  his  vehicle. 

The  acquaintances  thus  made  would  often,  by  his 
invitation,  call  to  see  him  at  his  residence,  and  there 
would  receive  a  kind  notice,  joined  with  such  words  of 
encouragement  and  advice  as  could  not  sometimes  fail 
to  have  a  lasting  and  beneficial  influence. 

"August  2. —  'Give  an  account  of  thy  stewardship,  for  thou 
mayest  be  no  longer  steward.' — Luke  16  :  2. 

"  How  ought  this  to  be  sounded  in  our  ears  !  and  how  ought 
we  to  be  influenced  by  the  words  !  Surely  there  can  be  no 
double  meaning  here.  The  words  are  emphatic,  clear,  and  of  vast 
concern  to  every  man.  Let  us  profit  by  them  while  it  is  day,  lest 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  227 

the  night  overtake  us,  when  we  can  no  longer  do  the  work  of  the 
day." 

On  the  22d  of  August,  Mr.  Lawrence  sent  a  cane 
to  Governor  Briggs,  at  Pittsfield,  with  the  following 
inscription  graven  upon  it : 

FROM  THE  "OLD  OAK"  OF  MOUNT  AUBURN: 

&  Memento  of  Eoueti  ©nes  jjone  before. 

AMOS    LAWRENCE    TO    GEORGE    N.   BRIGGS. 
1846. 

The  cane  was  accompanied  by  the  following  note : 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  Your  letter  of  Monday  last  came,  as  all 
your  letters  do,  just  right  as  a  comforter  through  a  feeble  week ; 
for  I  have  been  confined  to  the  house,  and  unable  to  speak  above 
a  whisper,  most  of  the  time,  and  am  still  not  allowed  to  talk  or 
work  much.  The  corresponding  week  of  the  last  year,  when  our 
precious  R.  was  your  guest,  comes  over  my  mind  and  heart,  at  all 
hours  of  the  night  and  the  day,  in  a  manner  I  need  not  attempt 
to  describe  to  you  ;  and  it  is  only  distressing  when  I  see  the  suf 
fering  of  his  dear  mother.  But  we  feel  that  he  is  now  the  guest 
of  the  Supreme  Governor,  whose  care  and  kindness  takes  from 
him  all  that  can  interrupt  his  perfect  happiness  through  all  time ; 
and  this  surely  ought  to  satisfy  us.  The  good  opinion  of  good 
men  you  know  how  to  value,  and  can  therefore  judge  how  much  I 
prize  yours.  Acting  upon  the  public  mind  for  good  as  you  do, 
the  memorial  from  the  old  oak  will  not  be  without  its  use  in  your 
instruction  and  advice  to  the  young,  whose  special  improvement 
and  safety  you  have  so  much  at  heart.  The  cane  is  a  part  of  the 
same  branch  as  that  sent  to  President  H.,  and  came  to  me  since 


228  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

noon    to-day.      Accept    it   with    assurances    of   continued    and 
increased  affection  and  respect.  Most  sincerely  yours, 

UA.  L." 

"  August  28.  —  Called  at  -  -  shop,  Washington-street,  and 
there  saw  a  nice-looking  boy  seventeen  or  eighteen  years  old, 
named  T.  S.,  to  whom  I  gave  a  word  of  good  counsel  and  encour 
agement.  Shall  look  after  him  a  little,  as  I  like  his  manners." 

"  August  29.  —  A  woman  writes  a  figuring  letter,  calling  her 
self  S.  M. ;  says  she  is  sixty  years  old ;  has  lost  her  sons,  and 
wants  help ;  came  from  New  Hampshire.  Also,  N.  T.  wants  aid 
to  study,  or  something  else.  Also,  a  Mr.  F.,  with  a  great  share 
of  hair  on  his  face,  gold  ring,  and  chains,  wants  to  travel  for  his 
health ;  has  a  wife  and  child.  These  three  cases  within  twenty- 
four  hours  are  very  forbidding." 

In  a  letter  of  advice  to  a  young  gentleman  who  was 
a  stranger  to  him,  but  who,  through  a  mutual  friend 
had  asked  his  opinion  on  a  matter  of  business,  he 
writes,  on  Sept.  19th : 

"  Your  letter  of  the  17th  is  a  flattering  token  of  confidence 
and  respect,  that  I  wish  were  better  merited.  Such  as  I  am,  I 
am  at  your  service ;  but  there  is  nothing  of  me.  I  have  been 
stricken  down  within  a  few  days,  and  am  hardly  able  to  stand  up. 
A  kind  Father  keeps  me  vigilant  by  striking  without  notice,  and 
when  least  expected ;  and  on  some  one  of  these  occasions  I  am  to 
close  the  account  of  my  stewardship,  and  no  matter  when,  if  the 
accounts  are  right.  I  cannot  advise  you  except  in  one  particular : 
Do  with  your  might  what  your  hands  find  to  do  •  spend  no  man's 
money  but  your  own,  and  look  carefully  after  little  items  that 
tempt  you." 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  229 

The  notoriety  attendant  upon  acts  of  beneficence 
which  Mr.  Lawrence  instinctively  shrunk  from,  and 
which  so  often  deters  the  sensitive  from  the  good  acts 
which,  without  this  penalty,  they  would  gladly  per 
form,  was,  as  has  before  been  stated,  a  subject  of 
serious  annoyance.  This  is  illustrated  by  the  following 
note,  written  to  Mr.  Parker,  the  Principal  of  the 
Johnson  School  for  girls  : 

"  October  2,  1846. 

"  I  hope  to  send  a  few  volumes  to  help  forward  the  young 
guides  of  the  mind  and  heart  of  the  sons  of  New  England, 
wherever  they  may  be ;  for  it  is  the  mothers  who  act  upon  their 
sons  more  than  all  others.  I  hope  to  be  felt  as  long  as  I  am  able 
to  work,  and  am  quite  as  vain  as  I  ought  to  be  of  my  name  and 
fame,  but  am  really  afraid  I  shall  wear  out  my  welcome  if  my 
little  paragraphs  are  printed  so  frequently  in  the  newspapers.  I 
gave  some  books  last  Monday,  and  saw  them  acknowledged  yes 
terday  in  the  newspaper,  and  since  have  received  the  letter  from 
the  children.  Now,  my  dear  sir,  I  merely  want  to  say,  that  I 
hope  you  will  not  put  me  in  the  newspaper  at  present;  and, 
when  my  work  is  done  here,  if  you  have  anything  to  say  about 
me  that  will  not  hurt  my  children  and  grandchildren,  say  on." 

A  few  days  afterwards,  Mr.  Lawrence  received  a 
letter  from  the  parties  to  whom  the  books  above  alluded 
to  had  been  sent,  inquiring  if  he  could  suggest  the 
name  of  some  benevolent  individual,  to  whom  applica 
tion  might  be  made  for  aid  in  furthering  the  objects  of 
the  Association.  He  writes  : 


230  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

"  In  reply  to  yours  of  to-day,  I  know  of  no  one.  but  must 
request  that  my  name  be  not  thrust  forward,  as  though  I  was  to 
be  a  byword  for  my  vanity.  I  want  to  do  good,  but  am  sorry  to 
be  published,  as  in  the  recent  case." 

During  the  autumn  of  this  year,  Mr.  Lawrence  pur 
chased  the  large  building  in  Mason-street,  which  had, 
for  many  years,  been  used  as  the  Medical  School  of 
Harvard  College,  with  the  intention  of  founding  a 
charitable  hospital  for  children.  He  had  heard  of  the 
manner  in  which  such  institutions  were  conducted  in 
France,  and  believed  that  a  great  benefit  would  be  con 
ferred  on  the  poorer  classes  by  caring  for  their  sick 
children  when  their  own  poverty  or  occupations  pre 
vented  their  giving  them  that  attention  which  could  be 
secured  in  an  institution  of  this  kind.  The  great 
object  was  to  secure  the  confidence  of  that  class,  and  to 
overcome  their  repugnance  to  giving  up  their  children 
to  the  care  of  others.  The  plan  had  not  been  tried  in 
this  country ;  though  in  France,  where  there  exists  a 
much  larger  and  more  needy  population,  the  system 
was  completely  successful.  Although  but  an  experi 
ment,  Mr.  Lawrence  considered  the  results  which 
might  be  obtained  of  sufficient  magnitude  to  warrant 
the  large  outlays  required.  He  viewed  it  not  only  as 
a  mode  of  relieving  sickness  and  suffering,  but  as  a 
means  of  exercising  a  humanizing  effect  upon  those 
who  should  come  directly  under  its  influence,  as  well  as 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  231 

upon  that  class  of  persons  generally  for  whose  benefit  it 
was  designed.  His  heart  was  ever  open  to  the  cry  of 
suffering  ;  and  he  was  equally  ready  to  relieve  it, 
whether  it  came  from  native  or  foreigner,  bond  or  free. 
The  building  which  had  been  purchased  for  the  object, 
from  its  internal  arrangement,  and  from  its  too  confined 
position,  was  found  less  suitable  than  another,  in  the 
southerly  part  of  the  city,  where  an  open  view  and 
ample  grounds  were  more  appropriate  for  the  purpose  ; 
while  there  was  no  cause  for  that  prejudice  which,  it 
was  found,  existed  toward  the  project  in  the  situation 
first  thought  of.  With  characteristic  liberality,  Mr. 
Lawrence  offered  the  Medical  College,  now  not  re 
quired,  to  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History  at  the 
cost,  with  a  subscription  from  himself  of  five  thousand 
dollars.  The  offer  was  accepted.  An  effort  was  made 
by  the  Society  to  raise  by  subscription  the  necessary 
funds  ;  and  the  result  was  their  possession  of  the 
beautiful  building  since  occupied  by  their  various  col 
lections  in  the  different  departments  of  natural  history. 
The  large  house  on  Washington-street  was  soon  put 
in  complete  repair,  suitably  furnished,  provided  with 
physicians  and  nurses,  and  opened  as  the  Children's 
Infirmary,  with  accommodations  for  thirty  patients. 
The  following  spring  was  marked  by  a  great  degree  of 
mortality  and  suffering  among  the  emigrant  passengers, 
and  consequently  the  beds  were  soon  occupied  by  whole 
families  of  children,  who  arrived  in  the  greatest  state 


232  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

of  destitution  and  misery.  Many  cases  of  ship-fevei 
were  admitted  ;  so  that  several  of  the  attendants  were 
attacked  by  it,  and  the  service  became  one  of  consider 
able  danger.  Many  now  living  in  comfort  attribute  the 
preservation  of  their  life  to  the  timely  succor  then  fur 
nished  ;  and,  had  no  other  benefits  followed,  the  good 
bestowed  during  the  few  weeks  of  spring  would  have 
compensated  for  the  labor  and  cost.  This  institution 
continued  in  operation  for  about  eighteen  months,  dur 
ing  which  time  some  hundreds  of  patients  were  pro 
vided  for.  The  prejudices  of  parents,  which  had  been 
foreseen,  were  found  to  exist,  but  disappeared  with  the 
benefits  received  ;  and  the  whole  experiment  proved 
conclusively  that  such  an  institution  may  be  sustained 
in  this  community  with  vast  benefit  to  a  large  class  of 
the  suffering  ;  and  it  is  hoped  that  it  may  one  day  lead 
to  an  establishment  of  the  kind  on  a  larger  scale,  and 
with  a  more  extensive  organization  and  means  of  use 
fulness.  In  this  experiment,  it  was  found,  from  the 
limited  number  of  beds,  that  the  cost  of  each  patient 
was  much  greater  than  if  four  times  the  number  had 
been  provided  for,  and  so  large  that  Mr.  Lawrence 
decided  that  the  same  amount  of  money  could  be  made 
to  afford  relief  to  much  larger  numbers  of  the  same 
class  of  sufferers  applied  in  some  other  way.  He  was 
a  constant  visitor  at  the  Infirmary,  and  took  a  deep 
interest  in  many  of  the  patients,  whose  varied  history 
had  been  recited  to  him  ;  and  in  after  years,  as  he 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  233 

passed  through  the  streets,  many  an  eye  would  brighten 
as  it  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  kind  friend  who  had 
whispered  words  of  consolation  and  hope  in  the  lonely 
hours  of  sickness. 

30 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

CAPTAIN  A.  S.   McKENZIK  — DIARY.  — AID    TO    IRELAND.  —  MADAM 
PRESCOTT.  — SIR  WILLIAM  COLEBROOKE. 

(TO   CAPT.    ALEXANDER   SLEDELL  MCKENZIE,  TT.  S.  N.) 

"  November  2,  1846. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  was  exceedingly  gratified  by  your  kind 
remembrance  of  me,  a  few  days  since,  in  sending  me  a  copy  of 
your  *  Life  of  Decatur,'  which  to  its  merits  as  a  biography  adds 
the  charm  of  bringing  before  me  my  old  friend  Bainbridge,  and 
the  writer,  whom  I  have  felt  a  strong  interest  in  ever  since  read 
ing  his  '  Year  in  Spain ; '  for  my  son  resided  in  the  same  family 
soon  after  you  left,  and  made  me  acquainted  with  you  before  I 
had  seen  you.  I  am  a  *  minute-man  '  in  life,  but,  while  I  remain 
here,  shall  always  be  glad  to  take  you  by  the  hand  when  you  visit 
us.  Whether  we  meet  here  is  of  less  importance  than  that  our 
work  be  done,  and  be  said  by  the  Master  to  be  well  done,  when 
called  off.  Respectfully  and  faithfully  yours, 

"A.  L." 

"December  17.  —  Thirty-nine  years  have  passed  since  my  first 
entry  in  this  book ;  and,  in  reviewing  this  period,  I  have  abun 
dant  reason  to  bless  God  for  his  great  mercies,  and  especially  for 
continuing  us  four  brothers,  engaged  as  we  have  been  in  business, 
an  unbroken  band  to  this  day,  and  for  the  success  attending  our 
labors.  We  have  been  blessed  more  than  most  men,  and  have  the 

234 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  235 

power,  by  our  right  use  of  these  blessings,  of  benefiting  our  fellow- 
men.  God  grant  that  the  spirits  of  our  parents  may  be  cheered 
in  their  heavenly  home  by  our  doing  the  work  here  that  we  ought 
to  do  !  To  my  descendants  I  commend  this  memorial,  with  the 
prayer  that  they  may  each  of  them  be  better  than  I  am."  *  *  * 
"  Fifteen  years  hence,  and  the  chief  interest  in  us  will  be  found 
in  our  Mount  Auburn  enclosure ;  and  we  ought  to  look  well  to 
the  comment." 

As  an  expression  of  the  feeling  here  referred  to,  he 
purchased  a  gold  box  of  beautiful  workmanship,  and 
forwarded  it  to  his  youngest  brother,  then  a  resident 
of  Lowell,  with  the  following  inscription  engraven 
upon  it : 

"BEHOLD,  HOW  GOOD  AND  HOW  PLEASANT  IT  IS  FOR  BRETHREN  TO  DWELL 
TOGETHER  IN  UNITY  !  " 

TO    SAMUEL   LAWRENCE, 

FROM 

HIS    BROTHER   AMOS. 

"December  19. —  Rode  to-day  to  the  Asylum  for  the  Blind 
with  Major  Arthur  Lawrence,  of  the  Rifle  Brigade,  British 
Army,  and  had  a  very  interesting  visit.  Dr.  Howe  very  atten 
tive  ;  and  Laura  Bridgman  and  Oliver  Caswell  both  appeared 
well." 

"December  27. —  Rev.  Mr.  Rogers  said  to-day,  '  Gold  is  not 
the  coin  of  heaven :  if  it  had  been,  Christ  would  have  been  rich ; 
but  he  was  a  poor  man.'  " 

"January  1,  1847.  —  In  July  last,  I  had  spent  the  advance 
of  my  income,  but  am  thankful  now  to  be  able  to  state  the  case 
differently,  being  in  the  receipt  of  ample  means  to  be  a  comfort  to 
the  needy." 


236  DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

From  the  various  entries  quoted  in  his  Diary,  it  will 
be  inferred  that  Mr.  Lawrence's  means  for  charitable 
distribution  varied  considerably  in  amount  from  year  to 
year.  To  explain  this  difference,  it  may  not  be  amiss 
to  state  here,  that  he  had,  from,  the  first  efforts  to 
establish  home  manufactures  in  New  England,  taken  a 
deep  interest  in  their  success,  and  had  consequently, 
invested  a  large  proportion  of  his  property  in  the 
various  manufacturing  corporations  which  had  been 
built  up  in  Lowell  and  other  towns  in  Massachusetts 
and  New  Hampshire.  The  great  fluctuations  in  this 
department  of  industry  are  known  to  every  one  ;  for, 
while  the  returns  of  one  year  would  be  ample,  those 
of  the  next  year  would,  from  embarrassments  in  the 
commercial  world,  or  from  some  other  cause,  be  little 
or  nothing. 

"January  8. —  T.  R.  and  S.  J.,  two  Englishmen  in  the  employ 
of  J.  C.,  mended  our  pump  to-day.  I  gave  them  some  books  and 
a  word  of  counsel,  and  hope  to  observe  their  progress." 

"  February  15. —  T.  J.  called,  and  is  to  embark  to-morrow,  on 
his  way  to  the  war  in  Mexico.  He  asked  me  to  give  him  money 
to  buy  a  pistol,  which  I  declined,  as  I  could  not  wish  them  success 
in  Mexico ;  but  gave  him  some  books,  a  Bible,  and  good  counsel." 

During  the  month  of  February,  an  appeal  was  made 
to  the  citizens  of  Boston  in  behalf  of  the  famished  popu 
lation  of  Ireland,  and  resulted  in  the  sending  to  that 
country  a  large  quantity  of  food  and  clothing.  Mr. 
Lawrence  contributed  himself  towards  the  object,  and, 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  237 

as  was  often  the  case,  endeavored  to  interest  others 
equally  with  himself.  On  the  24th  of  that  month,  he 
addressed  a  note  to  J.  A.  Stearns,  Esq.,  Principal  of 
the  Mather  School,  at  South  Boston,  for  the  pupils  of 
his  school  composing  the  Lawrence  Association.  This 
Association,  comprising  a  large  number  of  boys  and 
girls,  had  been  formed  for  moral  and  intellectual 
improvement,  and  had  been  named  in  honor  of  Mr. 
Lawrence,  who  had,  from  its  commencement,  taken  a 
deep  interest  in  its  success,  and  had  often  contributed 
books  and  money  when  needed. 

"  Wednesday,  March  2. 

"  MY  FRIENDS  :  The  value  of  the  offering  to  suffering  Ireland 
from  our  city  will  be  enhanced  by  the  numbers  contributing,  as 
the  offering  will  do  more  good  as  an  expression  of  sympathy  than 
as  a  matter  of  relief.  The  spirit  of  dear  R.  seems  to  speak 
through  your  *  Oak  Leaf,'  *  and  to  say,  c  Let  all  who  will  of  the 
Association  subscribe  a  half-dollar  each,  and  all  others  a  quarter 
each,  for  their  suffering  brethren,  and  children  of  a  common 
Father.'  A.  L. 

P.  S.  —  The  purses  were  presents  to  me,  and  must  be  returned. 
One  of  them  from  the  lady  of  Sir  John  Strachan,  herself  a 
descendant  of  one  of  our  Boston  girls ;  the  two  open-work  onea 
from  ladies  in  this  city.  Take  from  them  what  is  required, 
and  return  the  balance,  if  any  be  left.  If  more  is  required,  let  me 
know,  as  I  do  not  know  the  amount  in  the  purses.  A.  L." 

One  hundred  and  two  members  of  the  Association, 

*  A  little  newspaper  published  by  the  Association. 


288  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

and  four  hundred  and  thirty- eight  other  members  of  the 
school,  in  all  five  hundred  and  forty,  availed  them 
selves  of  the  privilege  thus  offered  them,  and  contrib 
uted  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  dollars  towards 
the  object. 

At  the  church  in  Brattle-street,  a  collection  was 
taken  in  aid  of  the  same  object ;  and,  among  other 
contributions,  was  a  twenty- dollar  bank-note,  with  the 
following  attached  to  it,  probably  by  Mr.  Lawrence  : 

"A  ship  of  war  to  carry  bread  to  the  hungry  and  suffering, 
instead  of  powder  and  ball  to  inflict  more  suffering  on  our 
brethren, —  children  of  the  same  Father, —  is  as  it  should  be  ; 
and  this  is  in  aid  of  the  plan." 

Among  the  most  respected  and  valued  friends  of  Mr. 
Lawrence  was  the  venerable  Madam  Prescott,  widow 
of  the  late  Judge  William  Prescott,  and  mother  of  the 
distinguished  historian  of  "  Ferdinand  and  Isabella." 
Years  seemed  rather  to  quicken  her  naturally  warm 
sympathies  for  the  distresses  of  others  ;  and,  at  the  age 
of  more  than  four-score,  she  was  to  be  daily  seen  on  foot 
in  the  streets,  actively  engaged  upon  her  errands  of 
mercy.  Mr.  Lawrence  had,  the  year  before,  found  a 
small  volume,  entitled  the  "  Comforts  of  Old  Age,"  by 
Sir  Thomas  Bernard  ;  and  had  sent  it  to  several  of  his 
friends,  principally  those  in  advanced  age,  asking  for 
some  record  of  their  experience.  His  note  to  Madam 
Prescott  on  this  subject  was  as  follows  : 


DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  239 

"  March  8,  1847. 

u  DEAR  MADAM  PRESCOTT  :  I  have  been  a  long  time  anxious 
to  receive  a  favor  from  you,  and  have  felt  diffident  in  asking  it ; 
but  am  now  at  the  required  state  of  resolution.  The  book  I  send 
you  is  so  much  in  character  with  your  own  life,  that  my  grand 
children,  who  love  you,  will  read  to  their  grandchildren  your 
words,  written  by  your  own  hand  in  this  book,  if  you  will  but 
place  them  there.  I  must  beg  you,  my  excellent  friend,  to 
believe  that  I  am  desirous  of  securing  for  my  descendants  some 
of  your  precious  encouragements  in  the  discipline  of  life. 
"Your  friend, 

"  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 

The  volume  was  returned  with  the  following  record : 

"BOSTON,  March  10,  1847. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  You  ask  me  what  are  the  comforts  of  old 
age.  I  answer,  the  retrospection  of  a  well-spent  life.  The  man 
who  devotes  himself  to  the  cause  of  humanity,  who  clothes  the 
naked,  feeds  the  hungry,  soothes  the  sorrows  of  the  afflicted,  and 
comforts  the  mourner, —  whom  each  rising  sun  finds  in  the  con 
templation  of  some  good  deed,  and  each  night  closes  with  the 
assurance  that  it  has  been  performed, —  surely  such  a  life  must  be 
the  comfort  of  an  old  age.  But  where  shall  we  find  such  a  man  ? 
May  I  not  be  permitted  to  apply  the  character  to  my  highly 
valued  and  respected  friend,  whose  charities  are  boundless,  and 
who  daily  dispenses  blessings  to  all  around  him  ?  May  the 
enduring  oak  be  emblematical  of  the  continuance  of  your  life  ! 
I  depend  much  upon  accompanying  you  to  Mount  Auburn,  and  to 
visit  the  spot  which  contains  the  precious  relics  of  him  whose  life 
it  is  sweet  to  contemplate,  and  whose  death  has  taught  us  how 


240  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

a  Christian  should  die.     The  perusal  of  this  little  volume  has 
increased  my  veneration  and  friendship  for  its  owner. 
"  Respectfully  and  affectionately, 

"C.  G.  PKESCOTT." 

.  "MEM.  by  A.  £.,  May  20,  1850.— Madam  P.,  now  much 
passed  four-score  years  of  age  (born  August  1,  1767),  is  as 
bright  and  active  in  body  and  mind  as  most  ladies  of  fifty." 

"April  10. —  Mrs.  T.  called  to  ask  aid  for  a  poor  widow,  which 
I  declined,  by  telling  her  I  did  not  "hear  or  read  people's  stories 
from  necessity,  and  I  could  not  inquire  this  evening.  She  claims 

to  be  acquainted  with  Rev.  Mr. •  and  Rev.  Mr. .  She 

gave  me  a  severe  lecture,  and  berated  me  soundly." 

" April  19. —  Mrs.  C.,  of  Lowell,  asks  me  to  loan  her  three 
hundred  dollars  to  furnish  a  boarding-house  for  twelve  young 
ladies  at  S.,  which  I  declined  by  mail  this  morning." 

In  reply  to  Sir  William  Colebrooke,  Governor  of  New 
Brunswick,  who  requested  Mr.  Lawrence  to  notify  cer 
tain  poor  people  in  the  neighborhood  of  Boston  that 
their  deposits  in  the  Frederickstown  Savings'  Bank, 
which  had  been  previously  withheld,  would  be  paid  by 
means  of  an  appropriation  for  the  purpose  recently 
made  by  the  Provincial  Assembly,  he  writes  : 

"  BOSTON,  April  26,  1847. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  WILLIAM  :  Your  kind  letter  of  the  8th 
instant  reached  me  on  the  13th,  and  is  most  welcome  and  grateful, 
in  making  me  the  medium  of  so  much  solid  comfort  to  the  numer 
ous  people  whose  earnings  are  thus  restored  to  them  through  your 


DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  241 

unceasing  and  faithful  labors.  May  God  reward  you,  and  enable 
you  to  enjoy  through  life  the  elevated  satisfaction  that  follows 
such  good  works  to  those  who  can  give  you  nothing  but  their 
prayers  !  It  is  alike  creditable  to  your  Provincial  Government 
and  those  true  principles  which  are  the  best  riches  of  all  free 
governments  ;  and  I  hope  may  exercise  some  good  influence  upon 
our  State  Governments,  which  have  done  injustice  to  many  poor 
persons  who  have  given  credit  to  their  promises.  I  have  caused 
your  notice  to  be  scattered  broadcast,  and  trust  that  all  who  have 
any  interest  in  the  Frederickstown  Savings'  Bank  will  know  that 
their  money  and  interest  are  ready  for  them.  Pray  present  me 
most  affectionately  to  Lady  Colebrooke  and  your  daughters  ;  and 
assure  her  we  shall  take  more  comfort  than  ever  in  showing  her 
over  our  beautiful  hills,  that  have  health  and  joy  in  every  breeze. 
My  own  health  continues  as  good  as  when  you  were  last  here ; 
and  my  family  (who  have  not  been  taken  hence)  seem  devoted  to 
my  comfort.  What  reason  have  we  for  devout  thanksgiving,  that 
our  two  countries  are  not  at  swords'  points,  and  that  the  true  feel 
ing  of  our  common  ancestry  is  now  sweeping  over  our  land  !  We 
are  in  deep  disgrace  on  account  of  this  wicked  Mexican  business. 
What  the  end  is  to  be  can  only  be  known  to  Infinite  Wisdom ;  but 
one  thing  is  certain, —  no  good  can  come  to  us  from  it. 

"Again  I  pray  you  to  be  assured  of  my  highest  respect  and 
regard,  and  am  very  faithfully  yours, 

"  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 

31 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

MR.  LAWRENCE  AS  AN  APPLICANT.  —  LETTERS.  —  DIARY.  —  PRAYER 
AND  MEDITATIONS.— LIBERALITY  TO  A  CREDITOR.  —  LETTERS. 

IT  was  not  uncommon  for* Mr.  Lawrence,  when  a 
good  work  was  in  progress,  to  give  not  only  his  own 
means,  but  to  lend  a  helping  hand  by  soliciting  con 
tributions  from  others.  The  following  note,  addressed 
to  a  wealthy  bachelor,  is  a  specimen  : 

"  BOSTON,  June  11,  1847. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  You  will  be  surprised  at  this  letter,  coming 
as  it  does  as  a  first ;  but  I  know,  from  my  experience  of  your  skill 
and  talents  as  a  business  man,  how  pleasant  it  is  to  you  to  make 
good  bargains  and  safe  investments ;  and,  although  you  are  a 
bachelor,  the  early  business  habits  you  acquired  are  marked,  and 
are  to  be  carried  forward  till  the  footing  up  of  the  account,  and 
the  trial-balance  presented  to  the  Master  at  his  coming.  As  I 
said  before,  you  like  safe  investments,  that  shall  be  returned  four 
fold,  if  such  can  be  made.  Now,  I  am  free  to  say  to  you,  I  know 
of  such  an  one ;  and  the  promisor  is  a  more  secure  one  than  A.  &  A. 
L.  &  Co.,  Uncle  Sam,  the  Old  Bay  State,  or  bonds  and  mortgages 
in  your  own  neighborhood.  Tou  ask,  Then  why  not  take  it 
yourself?  I  answer,  Because  I  have  invested  in  advance  in  the 
same  sort  of  stock  in  other  quarters,  but  am  willing  to  give  my 
guaranty  that  you  shall  be  satisfied  that  it  is  all  I  represent  when 

242 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  243 

you  make  your  final  settlement.  It  is  this  :  Amherst  College 
you  know  all  about ;  and  that  is  now  in  especial  need  of  new 
instructors,  and  increased  funds  for  their  support.  Twenty 
thousand  dollars  from  you  will  place  it  on  high  ground,  give  a 
name  to  a  professorship,  make  you  feel  happier  and  richer  than 
you  ever  did  in  your  life.  What  say  you  ?  —  will  you  do  it  ?  The 
respect  of  good  men  will  be  of  more  value  to  you  through  your 
remaining  days  than  any  amount  of  increase,  even  if  as  vast  as 
Girard's  or  Astor's.  As  I  am  a  mere  looker-on,  you  will  take 
this,  as  I  design  it,  as  an  expression  of  good- will  to  the  college, 
no  less  than  to  you." 

"MEM.  by  A.  L. — Received  an  answer  on  the  16th,  very 
good  and  kind,  from  Mr. ." 

In  addition  to  the  "  very  good  answer,"  Mr.  Law 
rence  had  soon  after  the  gratification  of  knowing  that 
the  application  had  been  successful,  and  that  the  neces 
sary  sum  had  been  contributed  by  his  correspondent. 

About  the  same  date,  he  writes  to  his  friend,  Pro 
fessor  Packard,  of  Bowdoin  College,  as  follows  : 

"  Your  visit  to  us  the  last  week  has  opened  new  views  and 
visions,  that  are  better  described  in  the  last  chapter  of  Revelations 
than  in  any  account  I  can  give.  Bowdoin  College  is  connected 
with  all  that  is  near  and  dear  to  President  Appleton, —  not  only 
those  on  the  stage  of  action  with  him,  but  all  who  came  after, 
embracing  jn  this  latter  class  your  own  loved  ones,  who  may  con 
tinue  to  exercise  an  important  agency  in  making  the  college  what 
the  good  man,  in  his  lifetime,  strove  to  make  it.  The  love,  vene 
ration,  and  respect,  my  dear  wife  had  for  him,  makes  her  feel  a 


244  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

peculiar  pleasure  in  doing  what  would  have  cheered  and  comforted 
him  so  much  had  he  lived '  till  this  time.  The  thousand  dollars 
handed  to  you  is  a  first  payment  of  six  thousand  that  she  will  give 
to  the  college  in  aid  of  the  fund  now  in  progress  of  collection ;  and 
she  directs  that  the  Lawrence  Academy,  at  Groton,  may  be 
allowed  to  send  one  scholar  each  year  to  Bowdoin  College,  to  be 
carried  through  the  four  years  without  charge  for  instruction ; 
and  that,  whenever  the  trustees  of  the  academy  do  not  supply  a 
pupil,  the  college  may  fill  the  place.  I  will  hold  myself  responsi 
ble  to  make  good  Mrs.  L.'s  intentions,  should  she  be  deprived 
in  any  way  of  this  privilege  before  the  work  is  done." 

Early  in  the  summer  of  this  year,  the  Hon.  Abbott 
Lawrence  made  his  munificent  donation  of  fifty  thousand 
dollars  to  Harvard  College,  for  the  purpose  of  founding 
what  was  afterwards  called,  in  honor  of  the  donor,  the 
Lawrence  Scientific  School.  After  reading  the  letter 
accompanying  this  donation,  Mr.  Lawrence  addressed  to 
his  brother  the  following  : 

"  Wednesday  morning,  June  9,  1847. 

"  DEAR  BROTHER  ABBOTT  :  I  hardly  dare  trust  myself  to 
speak  what  I  feel,  and  therefore  write  a  word  to  say  that  I  thank 
God  I  am  spared  to  this  day  to  see  accomplished  by  one  so  near 
and  dear  to  me  this  last  best  work  ever  done  by  one  of  our  name, 
which  will  prove  a  better  title  to  true  nobility  than  any  from  the 
potentates  of  the  world.  It  is  more  honorable,  and  more  to  be 
coveted,  than  the  highest  political  station  in  our  country,  pur 
chased  as  these  stations  often  are  by  time-serving.  It  is  to 
impress  on  unborn  millions  the  great  truth  that  our  talents  are 
trusts  committed  to  us  for  use,  and  to  be  accounted  for  when  the 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  245 

Master  calls.  This  magnificent  plan  is  the  great  thing  that  you 
will  see  carried  out,  if  your  life  is  spared ;  and  you  may  well 
cherish  it  as  the  thing  nearest  your  heart.  It  enriches  your 
descendants  in  a  way  that  mere  money  never  can  do,  and  is  a 
better  investment  than  any  one  you  have  ever  made. 

"  Your  affectionate  brother,  AMOS. 

"  To  ABBOTT  LAWRENCE." 

To  a  friend  he  writes,  soon  after  : 

"This  noble  plan  is  worthy  of  him;  and  I  can  say  truly  to 
you,  that  I  feel  enlarged  by  his  doing  it.  Instead  of  our  sons 
going  to  France  and  other  foreign  lands  for  instruction,  here  will 
be  a  place,  second  to  no  other  on  earth,  for  such  teaching  as  our 
country  stands  now  in  absolute  need  of.  Here,  at  this  moment,  it 
is  not  in  the  power  of  the  great  railroad  companies  to  secure  a 
competent  engineer  to  carry  forward  their  work,  so  much  are  the 
services  of  such  men  in  demand." 


"  BOSTON,  June  18,  1847. 

11  DEAR  PARTNERS  :  Please  pass  to  the  credit  of  my  friend,  the 
Rev.  Mark  Hopkins,  two  thousand  dollars,  'to  pay  for  four  schol 
arships  at  Williams  College,  to  be  used  through  all  time  by  the 
Trustees  of  Lawrence  Academy,  in  Groton.  The  said  trustees,  or 
their  representatives,  may  send  and  keep  in  college  four  pupils 
from  the  academy,  without  any  charge  for  tuition ;  and,  whenever 
they  omit  or  decline  keeping  up  their  full  'number,  the  govern 
ment  or  the  proper  authorities  of  the  college  are  authorized  to  fill 
the  vacancy  dr  vacancies  from  their  own  college  pupils.  Charge 
the  same  to  my  account.  A.  L. 

"  To  A.  &  A.  L.  &   Co." 


246  •        DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

During  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life,  Mr.  Law 
rence  was  unable  to  attend  more  than  the  morning 
services  of  the  church  on  Sunday,  on  account  of  the  state 
of  his  health. 

He  was  a  most  devout  and  constant  worshipper,  and 
many  of  those  who  have  conducted  the  religious  services 
of  the  church  which  he  attended  will  well  remember 
the  upturned  countenance,  the  earnest  attention,  and 
the  significant  motions  of  his  head,  as  he  listened  with 
an  expression  of  approval  to  the  faithful  declarations  of 
the  speaker.  He  loved  to  listen  to  those  who  ' c  did  not 
shun  to  declare  all  the  counsel  of  God,"  and  would 
sometimes  express  disappointment  when  the  preacher 
failed  to  declare  what  he  considered  the  important 
truths  of  the  Gospel. 

In  writing  to  a  friend,  after  listening  to  a  discourse 
of  the  latter  description  from  a  stranger,  he  compares 
it,  in  its  adaptation  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  hearers, 
to  the  nourishment  which  a  wood-chopper  would  receive 
by  placing  him  in  the  top  of  a  flowering  tree,  and 
allowing  him  to  feed  only  on  the  odor  of  its  blossoms. 
His  feelings  on  this  subject  are  expressed  in  a  letter  to 
an  esteemed  clergyman,  who  had  solicited  his  aid  in 
behalf  of  a  church4  in  a  distant  city. 

"  BOSTON,  June  11,  1847. 

"  MY  FRIEND  :  I  have  your  letter  of  yesterday  ;  and,  in  reply, 
I  offer  it  as  my  opinion  that  the  Unitarianism  growing  up  among 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  247 

us  the  few  years  past  has  so  much  philosophy  as  to  endanger  the 
Christian  character  of  our  denomination,  and  to  make  us  mere 
rationalists  of  the  German  school,  which  I  dread  more  than  any 
thing  in  the  way  of  religious  progress.  The  church  at  -  -  may 
be  of  use  in  spreading  Christianity ;  but  it  may  also  be  a  reproval 
to  it.  I  do  not  feel  sufficient  confidence  in  it  to  give  money  to 
keep  life  in  it  until  I  see  evidence  of  some  of  the  conservative 
influences  that  my  own  beloved  and  honored  pastor  is  calling 
back  among  us.  Your  well-wisher  and  friend, 

"A.  L. 

"  P.  S.  —  I  fully  agree  in  the  opinion  that  —  —  is  an  import 
ant  point  for  the  dissemination  of  truth ;  and,  before  giving  aid,  I 
must  know  the  man  before  I  help  support  the  minister,  having 
small  confidence  in  the  teachings  of  many  who  enjoy  considerable 
reputation  as  teachers  of  righteousness.  I  may  have  expressed 
doubts  and  fears  that  may  not  seem  well  founded;  but  I  feel 
them." 

The  following  entry  in  his  diary  will  give  some  idea 
of  Mr.  Lawrence's  exactness  in  his  daily  business  : 

"  Saturday,  July  24,  1847.  —  Enclosed  in  a  note  to  the  Rev. 
— ,  of  -  — ,  a  fifty-dollar  bank-note,  of  the  Atlantic 
Bank,  No.  93,  dated  Jan.  1,  1846,  payable  to  George  William 
Dodd ;  letter  A  at  each  end  of  the  bill,  and  A.  P.  P.  in  blue  ink, 
in  my  writing,  at  the  top.  Sent  the  letter  to  tl  e  post-office  by 
coachman,  and  paid  the  postage ;  he  keeping  a  memorandum  of 
his  having  delivered  it,  and  paid  for  it.  A.  L." 


"  Sept.  14.  — Professor  -  — ,  of  the  Baptist  College  in  -  — , 
has  called,  to  whom  I  shall  give  a  parcel  of  books  for^the  use  of 


248  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

the  college,  and  also  a  good  word,  which  I  hope  will  make  him 
remember  in  whose  service  he  is  engaged." 

"  Sept.  15.  —  Delivered  him  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
volumes,  various ;  all  of  value  to  him  and  his  college,  he  said. 
He  is  a  young  man  (under  thirty  years)  and  a  minister." 

"  September  16, 1847,  Sabbath-day*  —  <  0  most  blessed  Lord 
and  Saviour ;  thou  who  didst,  by  thy  precious  death  and  burial, 
take  away  the  sting  of  death  and  the  darkness  of  the  grave !  grant 
unto  me  the  precious  fruit  of  this  holy  triumph  of  thine,  and  be 
my  guide  both  in  life  and  in  death.  In  thy  name  will  I  lay  me 
iown  in  peace  and  rest ;  for  thou,  0  Lord,  makest  me  to  dwell  in 
safety  !  Enlighten,  0  Lord,  the  eyes  of  my  understanding,  that 
I  may  not  sleep  the  sleep  of  death  !  Into  thy  hands  I  commend 
my  spirit ;  for  thou  hast  redeemed  me,  0  thou  covenant-keeping 
God  !  Bless  and  preserve  me,  therefore,  both  now  and  forever ! 
Amen !  ' 

"  These  are  suitable  thoughts  and  aspirations,  such  as  every 
Christian  may  profitably  indulge  on  retiring  each  night.  His 
bed  should  remind  him  of  his  grave ;  and,  as  the  day  past  brings 
him  so  much  nearer  to  it,  the  appearance,  when  summoned  hence, 
should  be  the  point  most  distinctly  before  him.  If  he  pass  on 
with  the  '  Well  done,'  no  time  can  be  amiss  when  called  up.  0 
God !  grant  me  to  be  ever  ready ;  and,  by  thy  blessing  and  thy 
mercy,  grant  me  to  be  allowed  to  join  company  with  those  loved 
and  precious  ones  whom  I  feel  entirely  assured  are  at  thy  right 
hand,  then  to  be  no  more  separated  !  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 

The  following  note  and  memorandum  by  Mr.  Law 
rence  will  show  how  he  dealt  with  an  old  debtor  : 

*  The  opposite  page  is  a  fac-simile  of  the  original  manuscript  found  in  Mr.  Law 
rence's  pocket-book  after  his  death.  It  may  serve  as  a  fair  specimen  of  his  ckirog- 
raphy  during  his  latter  years. 


Jar-Simile  of  iflr.  fcamunte's  Ijanb-tDriiing  in  1847 

0 

fcu 

•S'H 


r 


2^  KtT  , 


XLSL 


DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  251 

(TO  MR.  G.) 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  If  you  have  any  mode  by  which  I  can  have 
the  pleasure  of  receiving  your  note  and  interest,  amounting  tc 
twenty-three  hundred  dollars,  to  be  vested  by  me  for  the  benefit 
of  your  wife,  I  shall  be  pleased  to  do  it,  having  long  since  deter 
mined  to  appropriate  this  money,  whenever  received,  in  this  way. 
"Yours,  truly,  A.  L. 

"  For  himself  and  brother  A." 

"  MEM.  — Mr. was  an  invalid,  and  confined  to  his  house 

at  that  period,  and  sent  for  me  to  call  and  see  him.  I  did  so,  and 
he  seemed  much  affected  at  my  offer  ;  but  told  me  he  was  in  better 
circumstances  than  I  had  supposed  him,  and  declined  the  proffered 
aid.  The  information  thus  given  me  in  this  last  interview  was 
most  welcome :  from  that  time,  I  never  mentioned  his  debt.  After 
his  decease,  it  was  paid  by  his  sons ;  and  the  family  has  been 
prosperous  since.  I  spent  the  money  for  others  in  need,  and  am 
rejoiced  that  all  his  are  so  comfortable." 

Many  of  our  readers  who  can  look  back  a  few  years 
will  recall  to  memory  the  manly  form,  and  fine,  open 
countenance,  of  William  L.  Green,  who  was  so  suddenly 
cut  off  at  the  very  threshold  of  what  promised  to  be  an 
honorable  and  useful  career.  He  had  come  to  Boston 
from  his  native  town  of  Groton  ;  and,  after  serving  an 
apprenticeship,  had  entered  upon  a  successful  business. 
He  had  endeared  himself  to  a  large  circle  of  friends, 
and  possessed  such  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  as  had 
made  him  the  stay  and  hope  of  his  parents  in  their 
declining  years. 


252  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

Upon  hearing  of  the  death  of  this  nephew,  Mr.  Law 
rence  addressed  to  his  parents  the  following  letter  of 
sympathy  : 

"  BOSTON,  October  22,  1847. 

"  DEAR  BROTHER  AND  SISTER  :  God  speaks  to  us  through 
the  rustling  of  the  leaves  no  less  distinctly  than  in  the  voice  of 
the  whirlwind  and  the  storm ;  and  it  is  now  our  business  and  our 
privilege  to  look  at  him  and  to  him  for  the  lesson  of  yesterday. 
Dear  W.,  as  he  parted  from  me  the  Sabbath  noon  before  the  last, 
looked  the  embodiment  of  health,  long  life,  and  happiness.  Now, 
that  noble  figure,  face,  expression,  and  loved  spirit,  which  lightened 
his  path,  is  no  longer  among  us,  to  be  in  danger  of  injury  from 
our  yielding  him  that  which  belongs  to  God  only.  Were  we  not 
liable,  dear  brother  and  sister,  to  interrupt  those  communings 
which  God  calls  us  to  with  himself?  He  is  our  merciful  Father, 
and  does  for  us  what  he  sees  is  best ;  and,  if  we  receive  his  teach 
ings,  however  dark  they  may  appear  to  us  at  present,  all  will  be 
made  clear  at  the  right  time.  Your  precious  treasure  is  secured, 
I  trust,  and  will  prove  an  increased  attraction  to  you  to  follow ; 
and  it  seems  to  me  that  our  children  are  uniting  in  their  joyful 
meeting  in  heaven.  May  we  see  in  this  event,  more  clearly  than 
ever,  where  we  are  to  look  for  direction,  instruction,  and  support ! 
May  we  be  ready  when  called !  So  prays  your  affectionate  and 
afflicted  brother,  A.  L." 

To  a  friend  he  writes,  Dec.  27  : 

"  In  our  domestic  relations,  we  are  all  as  we  could  desire,  save 
the  individual  case  of  my  brother  William,  who  is  barely  remain 
ing  this  side  Jordan,  and  in  a  happy  state,  I  trust,  to  pass  over. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  253 

For  a  number  of  days,  we  have  supposed  each  might  be  the  last  • 
but  he  may  continue  for  some  days,  or  possibly  weeks.  Death 
strikes  right  and  left,  and  takes  from  our  midst  the  long-honored 
and  beloved,  in  their  maturity.  Dr.  Codman  and  Judge  Hubbard 
are  both  to  be  buried  to-day ;  two  men  whose  places  will  not 
soon  be  filled,  I  fear.  Only  last  Tuesday,  in  my  ride  with  good 
Dr.  Sharp,  we  agreed  to  call  and  pay  our  respects  to  Dr.  C.  on 
Thursday ;  but,  on  that  morning,  learned  that  he  was  dead.  On 
Thursday,  Judge  Hubbard  rode  out,  and  transacted  legal  business 
as  a  magistrate ;  in  the  evening  went  to  bed  as  usual ;  in  the 
night-time  was  turned  over  in  bed,  as  he  requested  to  be,  and 
ceased  to  breathe.  How  could  a  good  man  pass  over  Jordan 
more  triumphantly  and  gloriously  ?  " 

The  reader  will  not  fail  to  note  the  coincidence, 
that,  almost  exactly  five  years  later,  Mr.  Lawrence  was 
summoned  to  "  pass  over  "  in  the  same  manner,  which, 
from  the  expression  used,  seems  to  have  been  to  him  so 
desirable  ;  though  his  own  departure  was  still  more 
sudden  and  striking. 

(TO   A    PHYSICIAN.) 

"  Sabbath  evening,  seven  o'clock. 

"  DEAR  W. :  I  have  been  reading  to  -  -  the  last  hour, 
beginning  at  the  second  chapter  of  Matthew,  and  so  on  in  course. 
Please  look  at  the  fourth  chapter,  and  the  latter  part  of  the 
twenty-third  verse,  and  I  think  you  will  need  no  apology  for  doing 
what  you  do,  with  such  instruction.  Christ's  example,  no  less 
than  his  precepts,  is  designed  to  be  practically  useful  to  the  whole 
family  of  man ;  and  I  feel  humbled  and  grieved  that  I  have  not 


254  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

followed  him  better,  and  preached  better  by  all  the  motives  he  has 
thus  spread  out.  I  say,  then,  to  you  and  yours,  God  bless  you 
in  your  good  work,  and  make  you  a  worthy  follower  of  the 
Beloved!  A.  L." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII.   . 

REFLECTIONS.— VIEWS  ON  HOLDING  OFFICE.  —  LETTERS.  —  CAPTAIN 
A.  SLIDELL  McKENZIE.  —  DEATH  OF  BROTHER,  AND  OF  HON. 
J.  MASON. 

"  Jan.  1,  1848.  — IN  reviewing  the  scenes  and  the  business  of 
the  past  year,  I  have  continued  evidence  of  that  mercy  which  a 
Father  bestows  on  his  children,  and  a  louder  call  to  yield  more 
fully  than  I  ever  yet  have  done  to  the  teachings  he  designs. 
Many  things  that  seem  dark,  of  which  the  reasons  are  not  under 
stood,  will  be  made  clear  at  the  right  time.  It  is  manifest  that 
my  stewardship  is  not  so  far  well  done  as  to  permit  me  to  fold  my 
arms  and  feel  easy.  No :  my  life  is  spared  for  more  work.  May 
its  every  day  be  marked  by  some  token  that  shall  meet  Thine 
approval,  when  the  final  call  shall  come  !  " 

(TO    PRESIDENT    HOPKINS.) 

"  BOSTON,  March  9. 

"  This  religious  awakening  among  your  college  students  is 
among  the  blessings  that  our  Father  vouchsafes  to  his  servants  who 
labor  faithfully  in  their  work ;  and  I  can  see  his  hand  as  plainly  in 
it  as  though  it  were  thrust  before  my  face  as  I  write  this  sentence. 
Let  us,  then,  bless  his  holy  name,  and  thank  him,  as  disciples  and 
followers  of  Christ  the  Beloved ;  and  urge  upon  these  young  men 
to  come  forward,  as  doves  to  their  windows.  If  my  life  and  my 
trusteeship  have  been  in  any  manner  instrumental  in  this  good 

255 


256  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

work  in  your  college,  it  will  be  matter  of  grateful  thanksgiving 
while  I  live.  Mrs.  L.  and  myself  both  felt  our  hearts  drawn  out 
to  you  as  we  read  your  letter ;  and  we  commend  you,  and  the 
good  work  of  guiding  these  interesting  young  Christians  in  the 
ways  and  the  works  that  lead  to  that  blessed  home  to  which  our 
loved  ones  have  been  called,  and  to  which  we  hope  to  be  welcomed. 
To  his  grace  and  guidance  we  commend  all  things  touching  this 
onward  and  upward  movement.  I  have  been  under  the  smarting- 
rod  a  few  days  within  the  past  fortnight.  Severe  pain  took  all  my 
courage  and  light-heartedness  out  of  me,  and  made  me  a  sorry 
companion ;  and  my  friends,  seeing  me  in  my  every-day  dress, 
would  hardly  know  me  in  this  sombre  garb.  Again,  dear  friend, 
I  bid  you  God-speed  in  the  good  work ;  and,  at  last,  may  you 
receive  the  '  Well  done '  promised  to  the  faithful !  " 

In  the  presidential  campaign  of  1848,  the  Hon. 
Abbott  Lawrence  was  made  a  prominent  candidate  of 
the  Whig  party  for  the  Vice-Presidency  ;  and,  in  the 
convention  which  assembled  at  Philadelphia  in  June, 
was  voted  for,  and  received  but  one  vote  short  of  that 
which  would  have  secured  the  nomination.  Mr.  Fill- 
more,  it  will  be  recollected,  was  the  successful  candi 
date.  During  the  canvass,  a  gentleman,  editing  a 
newspaper  which  strongly  advocated  the  nomination  of 
Taylor  and  Lawrence,  addressed  a  very  courteous  letter 
to  Mr.  Amos  Lawrence,  asking  for  aid  in  supporting 
this  movement,  which  he  supposed  he  would  of  course 
be  deeply  interested  in.  The  reply  is  given  here,  as  an 
illustration  of  his  views  in  regard  to  holding  high 
political  office  : 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  257 

"  DEAR  SIR  :  In  reply  to  yours,  this  moment  handed  me, 
I  state  that  my  income  is  so  reduced,  thus  far,  this  year,  that 
I  am  compelled  to  use  prudence  in  the  expenditure  of  money, 
and  must  therefore  decline  making  the  loan.  If  my  vote 
would  make  my  brother  Vice-President,  I  would  not  give  it,  as 
I  think  it  lowering  his  good  name  to  accept  office  of  any  sort,  by 
employing  such  means  as  are  now  needful  to  get  votes.  I  hope 
1  Old  Zack '  will  be  President. 

"  Respectfully  yours,  A.  L." 

To  President  Hopkins  he  writes,  April  15  : 

u  What  should  we  do,  if  the  Bible*  were  not  the  foundation 
of  our  system  of  self-government?  and  what  will  become  of  us, 
when  we  wilfully  and  wickedly  cast  it  behind  us  ?  We  have  all 
more  than  common  reason  to  pray,  in  the  depths  of  our  sins,  God 
be  merciful  to  us  sinners.  The  eiforts  made  to  lessen  respect  for 
it,  and  confidence  in  it,  will  bring  to  its  rescue  multitudes  who 
otherwise  would  not  have  learned  how  much  they  owe  it.  The 
( Age  of  Reason,'  fifty  years  ago,  told,  on  the  whole,  in  advancing 
truth,  by  bringing  to  its  support  the  best  minds  of  Christendom. 
I  hope  it  may  be  so  now.  This  is  a  theme  for  your  head  and  heart 
and  pen.  No  man  in  New  England  can  make  a  deeper  mark. 
What  say  ye  ?  The  Bible  is  our  great  charter,  and  does  more 
than  all  others,  written  or  unwritten." 

"  W.  C.  writes  from  N.,  asking  me  to  loan  him  three  thousand 

*  In  looking  over  the  list  of  Life  Directors  of  the  American  Bible 
Society,  made  such  by  the  payment  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  each, 
there  are  found  at  least  ten  who  are  known  to  have  been  constituted  by 
Mr.  Lawrence. 

33 


258  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

dollars  to  buy  a  farm,  and  to  improve  his  health  and  mind; 
stating  that  he  is  a  cripple,  but  wants  to  do  something  for  the 
world." 

"  That  man  may  last,  but  never  lives, 
Who  much  receives,  but  nothing  gives, 
Whom  none  can  love,  whom  none  can  thank, 
Creation's  blot,  creation's  blank." 

(TO  PRESIDENT   HOPKINS.) 

"  BOSTON,  June  12,  1848. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  Only  think  what  changes  a  few  weeks 
have  produced  in  Europe,  and  the  probable  effects  upon  this 
country.  It  seems  now  certain  that  vast  numbers  will  emigrate 
here,  rich  and  poor,  from  the  continent  and  from  England.  The 
question  for  us  is.  How  shall  we  treat  them  ?  It  is  certain  that 
foreigners  will  come  here.  We  have  land  enough  for  them,  but 
have  not  the  needful  discipline  to  make  them  safe  associates  in 
maintaining  our  system  of  government.  Virtue  and  intelligence 
are  our  platform;  but  the  base  passions  of  our  country  have  been 
ministered  to  so  abundantly  by  unscrupulous  politicians,  that  our 
moral  sense  has  been  blunted  ;  and  these  poor,  ignorant  foreigners 
are  brought  into  use  for  selfish  purposes,  and  the  prospects  for  the 
future  are  appalling.  Yet  a  ray  of  light  has  just  broken  in  upon 
us  by  the  nomination  of  General  Taylor  for  President ;  and  my 
belief  is,  he  is  the  best  man  for  the  place  who  can  be  named, 
with  any  prospect  of  success.  He  is  not  a  politician,  but  a  plain, 
straight-forward,  honest  man,  anxious  to  do  his  duty  in  all  his 
relations.  As  to  my  brother's  nomination  for  Vice-President,  I 
am  thankful  they  did  not  make  it  in  convention  :  he  is  in  a  higher 
position  before  the  country  than  he  would  be  if  chosen  Vice- 
President.  His  course  has  been  elevated  and  magnanimous  in  this 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  259 

matter ;  for  he  might,  by  his  personal  influence  and  efforts,  have 
received  the  nomination. 

"  ADDITIONAL.  —  It  is  now  almost  two,  p.  M.,  and  I  have  but 
just  returned  from  Mount  Auburn.  The  visit  has  been  deeply 
interesting,  on  many  accounts,  and  has  almost  unfitted  me  to 
finish  this  letter.  However,  there  is  nothing  in  the  visit  but  what 
ought  to  make  me  thankful  that  my  treasures,  though  removed, 
are  secured ;  and,  if  my  poor  efforts  can  bring  me  again  into  their 
society  through  the  blessed  Saviour,  I  ough't  not  allow  this  gush 
of  feeling  to  unman  me." 

A  few  days  later,  he  writes  to  the  same  friend  : 

"  I  have  not  as  yet  heard  of  the  examination  of  yesterday  at 
the  Lawrence  Academy,  which  son  A.  A.  attended,  but  hope  for 
a  good  report.'  In  truth,  I  feel  as  if  that  school  and  your  college 
are  to  go  hand  in  hand  in  making  whole  men  for  generations  to 
come.  There  is  a  pleasant  vision  which  opens  to  me  when  I  look 
forward  to  the  characters  that  the  academy  and  the  college  are  to 
send  forth  for  the  next  hundred  years.  I  bless  God  for  my  old 
home,  and  the  great  elm  in  front,  which  has  a  teaching  and  a 
significance  that  I  shall  endeavor  to  make  use  of  in  training  my 
grandchildren  and  dear  ones  of  my  family  connection.  How 
important,  then,  that  our  places  of  education  be  sustained,  as 
supplying  the  pure  and  living  streams  that  shall  irrigate  every 
hill  and  valley  of  this  vast  empire,  and  train  men  to  know  and  do 
their  duty  !  I  will  not  quarrel  with  a  man's  Presbyterian,  Epis 
copal,  or  Baptist  creed,  so  be  he  will  act  the  part  of  a  good  soldier 
of  Christ;  for  I  verily  believe  great  multitudes,  of  all  creeds, 
desire  to  serve  him  faithfully." 

"Aug.  23.  —  T.   Gr.  sent  me  a  paper  this  morning,  having 


260  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

many  names  on  it,  with  a  polite  note.  The  paper  I  returned 
without  reading  ;  telling  him  I  did  not  read  such,  or  hear  stories, 
and  must  be  excused.  He  took  the  answer  in  high  dudgeon,  and 
sent  another  note,  saying  he  had  mistaken  me,  and  desired  that 
his  first  note  should  be  returned.  I  wrote  upon  it  that  I  lived 
by  the  day  and  hour,  an  invalid,  and,  for  two  years,  had  adopted 
this  course,  and  had  treated  bishops,  clergymen,  and  laymen,  with 
the  fewest  words ;  that  I  intended  no  disrespect,  and  begged  his 
pardon  if  I  had  done  anything  wrong.  I  also  told  him  this 
course  was  urged  upon  me  by  my  medical  adviser ;  but,  with  all 
my  care,  there  is  now  an  average  of  six  applications  a  day 
through  the  year." 

Mr.  Lawrence  had,  many  years  previous  to  this 
date,  formed  an  acquaintance  with  Captain  Slidell 
McKenzie,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  which  had 
been  continued,  and  was  a  source  of  mutual  pleasure. 
Among  other  relics  in  the  possession  of  the  writer,  is  a 
cane  of  palm-wood,  presented  by  Capt.  McKenzie,  on 
his  return  from  Mexico  as  commander  of  the  United 
States  Steamship  "  Mississippi,"  to  Mr.  Lawrence, 
who  had  caused  to  be  engraven  upon  it,  on  a  silver 
plate,  the  following  inscription  : 

ALEXANDER  SLIDELL  McKENZIE  TO  AMOS  LAWRENCE. 

1845. 

PALM-WOOD  FROM  THE  BANKS  OF  THE  TOBASCO  RIVER. 

JBOM    THK    UNITED  STATES    NAVAL    COMMANDER    WHO   WAS    NOT   AFRAID   TO    DO    HIS    DUTY  WHEN 
LIFE  WAS  REQUIRED   AT  THE   YARD-ARM. 

The  latter  part  of  the  inscription  is  in  allusion  to 


DIAEY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  261 

the  course  which  Capfc.  McKenzie  felt  obliged  to  adopt 
in  the  mutiny  on  board  the  United  States  Brig  "  Som- 
ers,"  in  184-. 

On  Sept.  15,  he  thus  notices  the  death  of  that  officer 
in  his  diary  : 

"  This  morning's  newspapers  give  the  intelligence  that  the 
excellent  and  accomplished  Capt.  McKenzie  died  at  Sing  Sing, 
N.  Y.,  two  days  ago.  He  fell  from  his  horse  by  an  affection 
of  the  heart,  and  died  almost  instantly.  Thus  has  departed  a 
man  whom  I  esteemed  as  among  the  best  and  purest  I  am 
acquainted  with,  and  whose  character  should  be  a  treasure  for  his 
family  and  the  nation.  I  think  him  a  model  officer  and  a  good 
Christian." 


"Oct.  11.— 

CANADIAN    BOAT-SONG. 

*  Faintly  as  tolls  the  evening  chime, 
Our  voices  keep  tune,  and  our  oars  keep  time  ; 
Soon  as  the  woods  on  shore  look  dim, 
We  '11  sing  at  St.  Ann's  our  parting  hymn. 
Row,  brothers,  row :  the  stream  runs  fast, 
The  rapids  are  near,  and  daylight 's  past.' 

I  first  heard  this  song  sung  and  played  on  the  piano  by , 

afterwards  Mrs.  ,   at    her  house  in  street,  in   1809. 

The  song  rang  in  my  ears  sweetly  for  weeks,  as  I  was  taken 
down  with  fever  the  next  morning.  I  never  think  of  it  but  with 
delight." 

«  Oct.  15.  — My  brother  William  died  on  Saturday,  Oct.  14, 
at  three,  P.  M.,  in  the  sixty-sixth  year  of  his  age ;  and  my  brother 
Mason  died  only  five  hours  afterwards,  in  his  eighty-first  year, — 


262  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

within  three  doors  of  each  other.  Both  were  very  dear  to  me  in 
life,  and  both  are  very  dear  to  me  in  death ;  and,  in  God's  good 
time,  I  trust  that  I  shall  meet  them  again,  not  subject  to  the  ills 
and  changes  of  my  present  abode." 

In  a  letter  of  the  same  date  to  a  friend,  he  says  : 

"  My  letter  of  last  Tuesday  will  have  prepared  you  for  the 
sad  intelligence  in  this.  Brother  William  continued  without 
much  suffering  or  consciousness  till  two  o'clock  yesterday,  and 
then  ceased  breathing,  without  a  groan.  Yesterday  morning,  the 
hand  of  death  was  manifestly  upon  Brother  Mason,  who  was 
conscious  to  objects  around,  and  requested  C.  to  pray  with  him ; 
and,  when  asked  if  he  understood  what  was  said,  answered, 
'  Yes,'  and  expressed  by  words  and  signs  his  wants  and  feelings. 
He  continued  in  a  quiet,  humble,  and  hopeful  frame,  we  judge, 
until  just  eight  o'clock,  when,  with  a  single  gasp  and  a  slight 
noise,  his  mighty  spirit  passed  out  of  its  immense  citadel  of  clay, 
to  join  the  throng  of  the  loved  ones  gone  before.  Brother  W. 
was  in  his  sixty-sixth  year,  Brother  M.  in  his  eighty-first ;  and 
both  were  such  men  as  we  need,  true  as  steel  in  all  good  works 
and  words.  Mr.  M.  was  never  sick  a  day  to  disable  him  from 
attending  to  his  professional  and  public  duties  in  fifty  years,  and, 
until  within  a  short  time,  never  confined  a  day  to  his  house  by 
illness.  On  the  last  Sunday  evening,  I  passed  a  most  refreshing 
half-hour  with  him.  He  appeared  as  well  as  he  had  done  for 
a  year ;  inquired  very  particularly  into  Brother  W.'s  state ; 
expressed  the  opinion  that  his  own  time  was  near  at  hand,  and  a 
hope  that  he  might  be  taken  without  losing  his  mental  and 
bodily  powers.  He  remarked  that  protracted  old  age,  after  the 
loss  of  power  to  give  and  receive  comfort,  was  not  to  be  desired. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  263 

He  has  often  expressed  to  me  the  hope  that  he  should  be  taken 
just  as  he  has  been.  Have  we  not  reason  to  praise  and  bless 
God  in  taking,  no  less  than  in  sparing,  these  honored  and  loved 
ones?" 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

SYSTEM  IN  ACCOUNTS.  —  LETTER  FROM  PROF.  STUART.  —  LETTERS. 
—  DIARY. —DR.  HAMILTON. —FATHER  MATTHEW. 

"January  1,  1849.  —  THE  habit  of  keeping  an  account  of  my 
expenditures  for  objects  other  than  for  my  family,  and  for  strictly 
legal  calls,  I  have  found  exceedingly  convenient  and  satisfactory  ; 
as  I  have  been  sometimes  encouraged,  by  looking  back  to  some 
entry  of  aid  to  a  needy  institution  or  individual,  to  do  twice  as 
much  for  some  other  needy  institution  or  individual.  I  can  truly 
say,  that  I  deem  these  outlays  my  best,  and  would  not,  if  I  could 
by  a  wish,  have  any  of  them  back  again.  I  adopted  the  practice, 
ten  years  ago,  of  spending  my  income.  The  more  I  give,  the 
more  I  have ;  and  do  most  devoutly  and  heartily  pray  God  that  I 
may  be  faithful  in  the  use  of  the  good  things  intrusted  to  me." 

"  January  2.  —  Yesterday,  Peter  C.  Brooks  died,  aged  eighty- 
two  ;  a  man  who  has  minded  his  own  business  through  life,  and 
from  a  poor  boy  became  the  richest  man  in  the  city.  I  honor 
him  as  an  honest  man." 

(FROM  PROF.  STUART,  OF  ANDOVER.) 

"  ANDOVER,  January  23,  1849. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  Soon  after  my  daughter's  return  from  Boston, 
I  received  a  garment  exceedingly  appropriate  to  the  severe  cold 
to  which  I  am  daily  exposed  in  my  rides.  Many,  many  hearty 
thanks  for  your  kindness  !  To  me  the  article  in  question  is  of 

264 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  265 

peculiar  value.  The  cold  can  hardly  penetrate  beneath  such  a 
garment.  God  has  blessed  you  with  wealth ;  but  he  has  given 
you  a  richer  blessing  still ;  that  is,  a  heart  overflowing  with  kind 
ness  to  your  fellow-beings,  and  a  willingness  to  do  good  to  all  as 
you  have  opportunity.  I  accept,  with  warm  emotions  of  grati 
tude  and  thankfulness,  the  kindness  you  have  done  to  me.  I 
would  not  exchange  your  gift  for  a  large  lump  of  the  California 
gold.  Be  assured  you  have  my  fervent  prayer  and  wishes,  that 
you  may  at  last  receive  a  thousand-fold  for  all  the  kindness  that 
you  have  shown  to  your  fellow-men.  You  and  I  are  near  our 
final  account.  May  I  not  hope  that  this  will  also  be  entering  on 
our  final  reward  ?  I  do  hope  this  ;  I  must  hope  it.  What  else 
is  there  in  life  that  can  make  us  patiently  and  submissively  and 
calmly  endure  its  ills?  God  Almighty  bless  and  sustain  and 
guide  and  comfort  you  until  death :  and  then  may  you  pass 
through  the  dark  valley  without  a  fear,  cheerfully  looking  to 
what  lies  beyond  it ! 

"  I  am,  my  dear  sir,  with  sincere  gratitude,  your  friend  and 
obedient  servant,  MOSES  STUART." 

To  President  Hopkins  he  writes,  Jan.  3  : 

"  Your  letters  always  bring  light  to  our  path,  and  joy  to  our 
hearts,  in  one  way  or  another.  The  two  last  seemed  to  come  at 
the  very  time  to  do  both,  in  a  way  to  impress  our  senses  and  feel 
ings,  as  the  clear  heavens,  and  brilliant  sky,  and  exhilarating 
atmosphere,  of  this  charming  cold  day,  do  mine,  in  contrast  with  a 
beautiful  bouquet  of  flowers  on  my  table  as  a  love-token  from 
some  of  my  young  sleigh-riding  friends,  and  which  makes  me  feel 
a  boy  with  these  boys,  and  an  old  man  with  such  wise  ones  as 
you. 

34 


266  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

"  In  the  scenes  of  the  past  year,  much  that  will  mark  its  char 
acter  stands  out  in  bold  relief;  and,  if  we  of  this  country  are  true 
to  our  principles,  the  great  brotherhood  of  man  will  be  elevated  ; 
for  there  have  been  overturns  and  overturns  which  will  act  until 
He  whose  right  it  is  shall  reign.  If  we  live  up  to  our  political 
professions,  our  Protestant  religion  will  elevate  the  millions  who 
will  be  brought  under  our  levelling  process.  '  Level  up,'  but  not 
down,  was  Judge  Story's  maxim  of  democratic  levelling,  as  he 
began  his  political  career.  In  the  business  of  levelling  up,  the 
Lawrence  Academy,  I  trust,  may  do  something.  The  late  notices 
of  it  have  been  somewhat  various  by  the  newspaper  editors  to 
whom  the  preceptor  sent  catalogues." 


"  February  25. — Attended  Brattle-street  Church  this  morn 
ing,  and  heard  a  consolatory  sermon ;  and,  at  the  closing  prayer, 
the  giving  of  thanks  to  our  Father  in  heaven,  through  Jesus 
Christ,  who  lived  to  serve  us,  and  died  to  save  us." 

On  the  28th,  he  writes  to  his  brother  Abbott,  who 
had  had  tendered  to  him,  by  General  Taylor,  the  office 
of  Secretary  of  the  Navy : 

"  DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  have  heard  since  noon  that  you  have  the 
invitation  of  General  Taylor  to  take  a  seat  in  his  cabinet,  and 
that  you  will  proceed  to  Washington  forthwith  to  answer  for 
yourself.  I  am  not  less  gratified  by  the  offer  than  you  can  be ; 
but  I  should  feel  deep  anguish,  if  I  thought  you  could  be  induced 
to  accept  it,  even  for  a  brief  period.  Your  name  and  fame  as  a 
private  citizen  is  a  better  inheritance  for  your  children  than  any 
distinction  you  may  attain  from  official  station ;  and  the  influence 
you  can  exercise  for  your  country  and  friends,  as  you  are,  is 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  267 

higher  and  better  than  any  you  can  exercise  as  an  official  of  the 
government." 

On  March  3,  he  writes  to  his  brother  at  Washington: 

( '  I  awoke  this  morning  very  early,  and,  after  a  while,  fixed 
my  mind  in  prayer  to  God,  that  your  duty  may  be  clearly  seen, 
and  that  you  may  perform  it  in  the  spirit  of  a  true  disciple." 

And  again  on  March  5,  after  hearing  that  his  brother 
had  declined  the  proffered  seat  in  the  cabinet,  he  writes 
to  him : 

"  The  morning  papers  confirm  my  convictions  of  what  you 
would  do ;  and  I  do  most  heartily  rejoice,  and  say  that  I  never 
felt  as  proud  before." 

"April  11. — A  subscription  paper,  with  an  introductory  let 
ter  from  ,  was  handed  me,  on  which  were  seven  or  eight 

names  for  a  hundred  dollars  each,  to  aid  the  family  of , 

lately  deceased.  Not  having  any  acquaintance  with  him  or  &m- 
ily,  I  did  not  subscribe.  Applications  come  in  from  all  quarters, 
for  all  objects.  The  reputation  of  giving  freely  is  a  very  bad 
reputation,  so  far  as  my  personal  comfort  is  concerned." 

April  21,  he  writes  to  a  friend : 

"  The  matters  of  deepest  interest  in  my  last  were  ,  the 

religious  movement, 's  ill-health,  and 's  accident.     All 

these  matters  are  presenting  a  sunny  show  now.  Our  dead  Uni- 
tarianism  of  ten  or  fifteen  years  ago  is  stirred  up,  and  the  deep 
feelings  of  sin,  and  salvation  through  the  Beloved,  are  awakened, 


268  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

where  there  seemed  to  be  nothing  but  indifference  and  coldness ; 
my  hope  and  belief  are  that  great  good  will  follow.  In  the 
matter  of  the  enjoyment  of  life,  you  judge  me  rightly ;  few  men 
have  so  many  and  rich  blessings  to  be  thankful  for ;  and,  while 
I  am  spared  with  sufficient  understanding  to  comprehend  these, 
I  pray  that  I  may  have  the  honesty  to  use  them  in  the  way  that 
the  Master  will  approve.  Of  what  use  will  it  be  to  have  my 
thoughts  directed  to  the  increase  of  my  property,  at  the  cost  of 
my  hopes  of  heaven  ?  There,  a  Lazarus  is  better  off  than  a  score 
of  Dives.  Pray  without  ceasing,  that  I  may  be  faithful." 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  is  taken  from  a 
work  entitled  "  A  Komance  of  the  Sea-Serpent,  or  the 
Ichthyosaurus,"  and  will  show  Mr.  Lawrence's  views 
respecting  the  much  contested  subject  of  which  it 
treats  : 

"  BOSTON,  April  26,  1849. 

"I  have  never  had  any  doubt  of  the  existence  of  the  Sea- 
Serpent  since  the  morning  he  was  seen  off  Nahant  by  Martial 
Prince,  through  his  famous  mast-head  spy-glass.  For,  within  the 
next  two  hours,  I  conversed  with  Mr.  Samuel  Cabot,  and  Mr. 
Daniel  P.  Parker,  I  think,  and  one  or  more  persons  beside,  who 
had  spent  a  part  of  that  morning  in  witnessing  his  movements. 
In  addition,  Colonel  Harris,  the  commander  at  Fort  Independence, 
told  me  that  the  creature  had  been  seen  by  a  number  of  his 
soldiers  while  standing  sentry  in  the  early  dawn,  some  time 
before  this  show  at  Nahant ;  and  Colonel  Harris  believed  it  as 
firmly  as  though  the  creature  were  drawn  up  before  us  in  State- 
street,  where  we  then  were. 

"  I  again  say,  I  have  never,  from  that  day  to  this,  had  a  doubt 
of  the  Sea- Serpent' 's  existence.  The  revival  of  the  stories  will 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  269 

bring  out  many  facts  that  will  place  the  matter  before  our  people 
in  such  a  light  as  will  make  them  as  much  ashamed  to  doubt,  as 
they  formerly  were  to  believe  in  its  existence. 

"  Yours  truly,  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 

To  a  friend  he  writes,  July  18  : 

"  Brother  A.  has  received  the  place  of  Minister  to  the  Court 
of  St.  James;  the  most  nattering  testimony  of  his  worth  and 
character  that  is  within  the  gift  of  the  present  administration,  and 
the  only  office  that  I  would  not  advise  against  his  accepting." 

About  this  time,  Mr.  Lawrence  read  a  small  work, 
entitled  "Life  in  Earnest/ '  by  the  Rev.  James  Ham 
ilton,  D.D.,  Minister  of  the  Scotch  Church,  Regent's 
Square,  London.  The  sentiments  of  this  little  volume 
were  so  much  akin  to  his  own,  and  were  withal  so 
forcibly  exemplified,  that  he  commenced  a  correspond 
ence  with  the  author,  which  became  a  most  interesting 
one,  and  continued  until  the  close  of  his  life. 

"  BOSTON,  July  18,  1849. 
"  To  KEY.  J.  HAMILTON,  D.D. 

"SiR:  The  few  lines  on  the  other  side  of  this  sheet  are 
addressed  to  me  by  our  excellent  governor,  whose  good  word  may 
be  grateful  to  you,  coming  as  it  does  from  a  Christian  brother 
across  the  Atlantic.  If  it  should  ever  happen  to  you  to  visit  this 
country,  I  need  not  say  how  great  would  be  my  pleasure  to  see 
you.  I  am  a  minute-man,  living  by  the  day  and  by  the  ounce ; 
but  am  compensated  for  all  privations,  by  reading  such  tracts  as 
c  Life  in  Earnest,'  in  such  a  way  that  few  are  allowed.  I  have 
cleared  out  the  Sunday-school  depository  three  times  in  the  last 


270  DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

four  weeks,  and  have  scattered  the  work  broadcast,  and  intend  to 
continue  to  do  so  if  my  health  allows.  Among  those  to  whom  I 
have  given  one  is  my  younger  brother,  who  is  soon  to  be  with  you 
in  England,  as  Minister  to  your  Court.  I  recommend  him  to 
your  prayers  and  your  confidence. 

"  With  great  respect  for  your  character,  I  am  yours, 

"  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 

"  July  23.  —  We  are  to  have  Father  Matthew  here  to-morrow  : 
he  is  a  lion,  but  I  probably  shall  only  see  him  at  a  distance 
The  influence  he  is  said  to  have  upon  his  Irish  people  may  result 
in  making  many  of  them  industrious  citizens,  who  would,  without 
him,  be  criminals,  and  a  pest  to  honest  people.  The  evil  of  such 
masses  being  thrown  upon  us  we  must  bear,  and  study  how  to 
relieve  ourselves  in  any  practicable  way.  I  see  none  but  to  edu 
cate  the  children,  and  circulate  the  Bible  and  good  books  among 
them,  which  shall  encourage  them  to  do  the  best  they  can  for 
themselves. 

"  The  Christian  banner  may  have  many  local  influences  and 
teachings ;  but  its  broad  folds,  I  trust,  will  cover  many  true  fol 
lowers,  however  exact  its  worldly  interpreters  may  be  of  what 
constitutes  a  true  follower.  I  saw,  in  the  New  York  Observer 
(I  think  it  was),  a  statement  of  a  district  in  the  South-west, 
where  were  forty-one  Christian  denominations,  and  no  two  of 
whose  ministers  could  exchange  pulpit  labors.  Do  not  these 
people  need  a  Christian  teacher?" 

"August  3. — Father  Matthew  is  doing  a  good  work  here; 
and  the  result  of  his  power  is  in  his  benevolent  and  sincere 
expression,  and  charming  head  and  face.  He  has  called  to  see 
me  twice,  and  I  intend  to  call  and  see  him  to-morrow.  His  ease 
and  eloquence  could  not  do  for  him  what  his  heavenly  expression 
does." 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

CODICIL  TO  WILL. —ILLNESS.  — GEN.  WHITING.  —  LETTERS.  —  DIARY. 

IN  August,  1849,  Mr.  Lawrence  reviewed  his  will, 
and  added  to  it  the  following  codicil : 

"  Through  the  mercy  of  God,  my  life  has  been  prolonged  to 
this  time,  and  my  mental  and  bodily  powers  continued  to  me  to 
an  extent  that  has  enabled  me  to  see  to  the  application  of  those 
trusts  that  have  been  confided  to  me ;  and,  should  my  stewardship 
end  now  or  next  year,  and  the  '  Well  done '  of  the  Master  be 
pronounced  upon  my  labors,  all  things  here  will  seem  nothing, 
and  less  than  nothing,  in  comparison. 

"  In  short,  my  life,  cheerful  and  happy  as  it  is  made  by  the 
three  blessings  conferred  upon  man  after  his  fall  (wife,  children, 
and  friends),  is  in  the  keeping  of  a  merciful  Father,  who,  by 
thus  continuing  it,  allows  me  a  foretaste  of  that  future  home  I 
hope  for  whenever  he  calls. 

"  In  reviewing  my  will,  above  written,  executed  on  the  21st 
day  of  February,  A.  D.  1846,  I  see  nothing  to  alter,  and  every 
thing  to  confirm.  And  I  do  hereby  declare  it  still  my  will,  and 
this  codicil  is  to  be  taken  as  a  confirmation  of  it ;  and  I  do 
earnestly  hope  all  in  interest  will  see  clearly  the  meaning  of 
every  clause,  and  carry  out  my  meaning  without  any  quibbling, 
question,  or  controversy.  I  have  been  my  own  executor,  for 
many  years,  of  the  surplus  property  I  have  received,  and  intend 

271 


272  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

to  be  while  my  powers  of  mind  will  allow  it.  Many  near  and 
dear  friends  to  whom  I  looked  for  counsel  and  direction,  at  the 
time  my  will  was  executed,  have  been  taken  hence,  which  makes 
me  more  desirous  of  giving  a  renewed  expression  at  this  time." 

In  this  connection  was  the  following  note  to  his  sons, 
found  in  his  pocket-book  after  his  decease  : 

"  DEAR  W.  AND  A. :  In  my  will,  I  have  made  no  bequests 
as  tokens  of  remembrance,  and  have  endeavored  to  do  for  all 
(whom  I  am  interested  in  out  of  my  own  family  connections) 
what  is  needful  and  proper  and  best ;  yet  I  wish  some  expres 
sion  of  kindness  to  M.  and  F.,  if  in  the  family  when  I  am 
taken."  *  *  *  * 

Here  follow  donations  to  domestics  who  had  been  for 
many  years  in  his  family. 

About  the  20th  of  September,  Mr.  Lawrence  expe 
rienced  a  severe  attack  of  cholera  rnorbus,  which  was 
then  a  sort  of  epidemic  in  the  community.  Of  this 
attack,  he  writes  to  President  Hopkins  as  follows  : 

"  I  hardly  know  how  to  address  you,  since  I  find  myself  once 
more  spared  to  lay  open  my  heart  to  you ;  for  I  do  indeed  feel  all 
the  force  of  the  words,  What  shall  I  render  unto  God  for  all  his 
unspeakable  goodness  ?  I  have  been  upon  the  brink  of  Jordan, 
and,  with  my  outstretched  hand,  seized  hold  of  our  merciful 
Father's  hand,  that  was  held  out  towards  me,  and  was  supported 
by  his  grasp  as  plainly  as  I  could  have  been  by  your  own  hand. 
I  was  waiting,  and  praying  to  him  to  conduct  me  to  the  other 
side  and  permit  me  to  join  the  company  of  loved  ones  passed 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  273 

on,  and  felt  almost  sure  I  should  never  see  the  sunlight  of  this 
world  again,  when,  to  my  amazement,  I  found  my  pains  subsiding, 
and  that  I  had  not  finished  the  work  he  had  assigned.  When  you 
were  here,  I  gave  you  some  little  outline  of  my  plan  of  work  for 
— .  On  the  18th  of  September,  I  completed  that  work,  and 
felt  stronger  on  that  day  than  on  any  day  for  a  month.  Under 
the  excitement  of  the  scene  and  a  sudden  change  of  weather,  I 
took  cold,  and  had  a  terrible  attack  of  cholera,  which,  by  the 
immediate  administration  of  remedies,  was  in  a  degree  quieted. 
Thus  my  poor  old  worn-out  machine  was  still  kept  from  parting, 
as  the  sole  of  the  shoe  is  sometimes  kept  on  by  freezing  snow  and 
water  upon  it." 

In  the  beginning  of  this  volume,  mention  is  made 
of  the  first  clerk  whom  Mr.  Lawrence  employed  after 
entering  business  in  the  year  1807.  To  that  gentle 
man,  now  Brigadier-General  Whiting,  was  addressed 
the  following  letter,  which  was  the  recommencement  of 
a  correspondence  which  had  ceased  for  many  years  : 

"  BOSTON,  November,  1849. 

"  MY  DEAR  GENERAL  :  I  have  been  deeply  interested  in  over 
looking  your  volume  of  revolutionary  orders  of  Washington, 
selected  from  your  father's  manuscripts,  as  it  brought  back  scenes 
and  memories  of  forty  years  and  more  ago,  when  I  used  to  visit 
at  your  house  in  Lancaster,  and  to  read  those  papers  with  a  relish 
that  might  well  be  coveted  by  the  youth  of  the  present  day.  I 
thank  you  for  this  token  of  auld  lang  syne,  and  shall  feel  the 
more  thankful  if  you  will  come  and  see  me.  I  would  certainly  go 
to  you,  if  I  had  the  strength,  and  could  do  it  safely ;  but  shall 
never  go  so  far  from  home,  being  at  any  moment  liable  to  be 
35 


274  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

called  off.  My  earnest  desire  is  to  be  '  in  line,'  and  to  be  able  to 
answer,  promptly,  '  here.'  I  hope  to  hear  from  you  and  your  wife 
and  wee  things  :  all  have  a  hold  upon  me,  and  you  will  give  them 
an  old  man's  love.  I  have  taken  the  opportunity  to  send  you 
some  little  reminiscences  of  old  times.  Butler's  'History  of 
G.roton '  (which  connects  Lancaster  in  early  days)  is  a  model  for 
its  exact  truthfulness  :  he  was  the  preceptor  of  the  academy  until 
long  after  you  entered  the  army.  Then  I  have  sent  a  catalogue 
of  the  school,  from  its  beginning  for  fifty  years  or  more  ;  l  His 
tory  of  Lowell  as  it  Was,  and  Lowell  as  it  Is,'  well  written  and 
true  ;  '  Boston  Notions,'  put  together  by  old  Mr.  Dearborn,  the 
printer,  whom  you  knew ;  and  some  other  little  matters,  which 
will  serve  to  freshen  old  things,  as  your  '  Revolutionary  Orders 
of  Washington  '  have  done  with  me.  I  have  just  looked  into  my 
first  sales-book,  and  there  see  the  entries  made  by  you  more  than 
forty  years  ago.  Ever  since,  you  have  been  going  up,  from  the 
cornet  of  dragoons  to  the  present  station. 

*' Farewell.     Your  old  friend,         AMOS  LAWRENCE. 
"  GEN.  HENRY  WHITING,  Fort  Hamilton,  N.  Y." 

(TO   ROBERT   BARNWELL   RHETT,    ESQ.,    OF    SOUTH    CAROLINA.) 

"  BOSTON,  Dec.  12,  1849. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  Your  letter  of  November  30  reached  me  in 
duo  course,  and  gave  me  unfeigned  pleasure  in  seeing  my  hopes 
confirmed,  that  the  practical  common  sense  of  South  Carolina  was 
returning,  and  that  the  use  of  their  head  and  hands  was  getting  to 
be  felt  among  the  citizens,  as  necessary  to  their  salvation  as  com 
mon  brethren  in  the  great  family  of  States.  Without  the  use  of 
those  trusts  placed  in  their  hands  by  our  common  Father,  tho 
State  will  not  be  worth  the  parchment  on  which  to  draw  the  deeds 
fifty  years  hence  ;  and  I  most  earnestly  pray  God  to  guide,  guard, 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  275 

and  save  the  State  from  their  childishness  in  their  fears  that  our 
northern  agitators  can  harm  them.  I  spent  the  winter  of  1819  in 
Washington,  and  heard  the  whole  of  the  debate  upon  admitting 
Alabama  and  Missouri  into  the  Union.  Alabama  was  admitted, 
Missouri  rejected ;  and  I  made  up  my  mind  then  that  I  would 
never  interfere  until  requested  by  my  brethren  of  the  Slave- 
holding  States ;  which  resolution  I  have  carried  out  from  that 
day  to  this ;  and  I  still  hold  to  it.  But  I  would  not  have  admit 
ted  Alabama  then  or  Missouri  on  the  terms  they  were  admitted. 
We  of  the  North  have  windy,  frothy  politicians,  who  hope  to 
make  capital  out  of  their  ultraism ;  but,  in  the  aggregate,  they 
soon  find  their  level.  Now,  of  the  point  to  which  I  desire  to 
come,  I  do  earnestly  desire  your  State  to  carry  out  your  proph 
ecy,  that,  in  ten  years,  you  will  spin  all  your  own  crop  of 
cotton ;  for  we  of  Massachusetts  will  gladly  surrender  to  you  the 
manufacture  of  coarse  fabrics,  and  turn  our  industry  to  making 
fine  articles.  In  short,  we  could  now,  if  you  are  ready,  give  up 
to  you  the  coarse  fabrics,  and  turn  one  half  of  our  machinery  into 
spinning  and  weaving  cotton  hose ;  and  nothing  will  help  us  all 
so  much  as  specific  duties.  The  whole  kingdom  of  Saxony  is 
employed  at  this  moment  in  making  cotton  hose  for  the  United 
States  from  yarns  purchased  in  England,  and  made  of  your  cot 
ton.  How  much  better  would  it  be  for  you  and  for  us  to  save 
these  treble  profits  and  transport,  by  making  up  the  cotton  at 
home  !  Think  of  these  matters,  and  look  at  them  without  the 
prejudice  that  prevails  so  extensively  in  your  State.  A  few 
years  ago,  I  asked  our  kinsman,  Gen.  -  — ,  of  your  State,  how 
the  forty-bale  theory  was  esteemed  at  that  time.  His  answer 
was,  '  We  all  thought  it  true  when  it  was  started,  and  it  had  its 
effect ;  but  nobody  is  of  that  mind  now.'  Still,  I  believe,  when 
an  error  gets  strong  hold  of  the  popular  mind,  it  is  much  more 


276  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

difficult  to  eradicate  it  than  it  is  to  supply  the  truth  in  its  place. 
If  I  know  myself,  I  would  not  mete  to  you  any  different  measure 
from  what  I  would  ask  of  you ;  and  I  must  say  to  you,  that  your 
State  and  people  have  placed  themselves  in  a  false  position,  which 
will  be  as  apparent  to  them  in  a  few  years  as  the  sun  is  at  noon 
day.  My  own  family  and  friends  are  in  usual  health ;  and  no 
man  this  side  heaven  enjoys  earth  better  than  I  do.  I  do  pray 
you  to  come  and  see  us.  I  hope  to  see  your  son  at  Cambridge 
this  week.  Most  respectfully  yours, 

"  AMOS  LAWRENCE. " 

"  BOSTON,  December  11,  1849. 
"  To  Gen.  HENRY  WHITING,  U.  S.  A.,  Fort  Hamilton,  N.  Y. 

"  MY  EARLY  FRIEND  :  Forty  years  and  more  ago,  we  used  to 
talk  over  together  the  dismemberment  of  Poland  and  the  scenes 
that  followed,  and  to  pour  out  together  our  feelings  for  those 
martyrs  of  liberty.  At  the  present  moment,  my  feelings  are 
deeply  moved  by  taking  by  the  hand  Colonel  P.  and  Major  F., 
just  landed  here,  and  driven  from  their  country,  martyrs  to  the 
same  cause.  I  need  only  say  to  you  that  they  are  strangers 
among  us,  and  any  attentions  from  you  will  be  grateful  to  them, 
and  duly  felt  by  your  old  friend,  A.  L." 

u December  24,  1849.  —  I  have  been  daily  employed,  of  late, 
in  accompanying  visitors  to  our  public  institutions  ;  among  these, 
Mr.  Charles  Carroll,  of  Maryland,  to  the  Mather  School  and  the 
Perkins  Asylum  for  the  Blind.  The  effect  of  kindness  upon  the 
character  of  children  is  more  strikingly  illustrated  in  the  Mather 
School  than  in  any  other  I  know  of.  Three  fifths  of  the  pupils 
are  children  of  foreigners, —  English,  Irish,  Scotch,  German, 
Swiss,  and  the  like, —  mostly  very  poor.  Two  fifths  are  Amer- 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  277 

ican ;  and  these  foreign  children,  after  a  few  months,  are  ambitious 
to  look  as  well  and  do  as  well  as  the  best.  The  little  Irish  creat 
ures  are  as  anxious  to  have  their  faces  clean,  their  hair  smooth, 
their  clothes  mended,  and  to  learn  to  read,  write,  and  explain 
their  lessons,  as  the  upper  children.  These  upper  children, 
to  the  number  of  about  one  hundred,  belong  to  the  Lawrence 
Association." 

"December  25,  Christmas  afternoon.  —  The  following  beau 
tiful  little  note,  accompanied  by  a  silver  cup,  almost  unmanned 
me.  Forty-three  girls  signed  the  note  ;  two  others  engaged  in  it 
are  sick  ;  and  one  died,  and  was  buried  at  Mount  Auburn  by  her 
particular  request, —  making  forty-six  of  these  children,  who,  of 
their  own  motion,  got  up  this  token.  Their  note  is  dated  to-day, 
and  runs  thus : 

"  '  RESPECTED  SIR  :  The  misses  of  the  Lawrence  Association, 
anxious  to  testify  their  gratitude  for  the  kind  interest  which  you 
have  ever  manifested  towards  them,  would  most  respectfully 
request  your  acceptance  of  this  small  token  of  their  gratitude.'  r 
(Signed  by  forty- three  girls.) 

"  26.  — We  had  great  times  with  the  children  last  evening  at 
Sister  M.'s.  It  really  seemed  to  me  that  the  entertainment  gave 
me  as  much  pleasure  as  any  child  among  them  ;  beside  which,  I 
went  to  the  house  of  my  old  friend  Dr.  Bowditch  (where  I  used 
to  visit  twenty-five  years  ago  on  like  occasions),  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  there  found  seventeen  of  his  grandchildren  enjoying  the  fruits 
of  the  Christmas-tree  in  the  best  manner  possible." 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

DIARY.  —  REFLECTIONS.  —  SICKNESS.  —  LETTER  FROM  REV.  DR.  ' 
SHARP.  —  CORRESPONDENCE. 

ON  the  first  of  January,  1850,  Mr.  Lawrence,  as 
usual,  reviews,  in  his  property-book,  the  state  of  his 
affairs  during  the  preceding  year,  with  an  estimate  of 
his  expenditures.  The  entry  for  the  present  year  is  as 
follows  : 

li  The  amount  of  my  expenditures  for  all  objects  (taxes 
included)  is  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  dollars.  I 
consider  the  money  well  spent,  and  pray  God  constantly  that  I 
may  be  watchful  in  the  use  of  the  blessings  he  bestows,  so  that 
at  last  he  may  admit  me  among  the  faithful  that  surround  his 
throne." 

The  above  entry  will  give  some  idea  of  the  fidelity 
with  which  his  trusts  had  been  fulfilled,  so  far  as 
regarded  his  worldly  possessions.  Each  year,  as  it 
rolled  by,  as  well  as  each  successive  attack  of  illness, 
seemed  only  to  stimulate  him  in  his  efforts  to  accom 
plish  what  he  could  while  the  day  lasted.  No  anxious 
fears  disturbed  him  as  he  looked  forward  to  the  near 
approach,  of  "that  night  when  no  man  can  work/' 

278 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  279 

That  night  to  him  was  but  a  prelude  of  rest  from 
bodily  weakness  and  suffering,  and  the  forerunner  of  a 
brighter  day,  of  which,  even  in  this  world,  he  was 
sometimes  permitted  to  obtain  a  glimpse.  He  says  : 

"  My  own  health  and  strength  seem  renewed.  That  cholera 
attack  has  changed  the  whole  man ;  and  it  is  only  now  and  then 
I  am  brought  to  a  pause  that  quickens  me  in  my  work  when 
again  started.  A  week  since,  I  ventured  on  two  ounces  of  solid 
food  for  my  dinner,  differing  from  what  I  have  taken  for  many 
years.  Nine  hours  after,  in  my  sleep,  I  fainted,  and  was  brought 
to  life  by  dear  N.  standing  over  me,  giving  ammonia,  rubbing, 
and  the  like.  Fasting  the  day  following  brought  me  back  to  the 
usual  vigor  and  enjoyments.  Do  you  not  see  in  this  the  sentence, 
*  Do  with  thy  might  what  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,'  stereotyped  in 
large  letters  before  me.  This  it  is  that  brings  me  to  the  work  at 
this  hour  in  the  morning." 


"March  24.  —  Received  a  letter  from  Rev.  Mr.  Hallock, 
Secretary  of  the  American  Tract  Society,  saying  that  the  Society 
will  publish  Dr.  Hamilton's  lecture  on  the  literary  attractions  of 
the  Bible,  which  I  had  sent  them  a  few  weeks  since ;  and  will 
supply  me  with  two  thousand  copies,  as  I  requested. 

"Received  also,  this  morning,  another  tract  of  Dr.  H.  'from 
sister  K..  in  London,  called  the  '  Happy  Home,'  which  finished 
that  series  to  the  working  people.  After  reading  this  number,  I 
feel  a  strong  desire  to  see  the  preceding  nine  numbers." 

(TO   THE   RET.    JAMES    HAMILTON,    D.D.) 

"  BOSTON,  March  24,  1850. 

"  REV.  AND  DEAR  SIR  :  I  need  not  repeat  to  you  how  deeply 
interesting  all  your  writings  which  I  have  seen  have  been  to  me  ; 


280  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

but  you  may  not  feel  indifferent  to  the  fact  that  the  lecture  you 
delivered  four  months  ago,  on  the  literary  attractions  of  the  Bible 
(which  I  received  from  my  sister,  Mrs.  Abbott  Lawrence,  a  few 
weeks  since),  is  now  in  process  of  republication  by  the  American 
Tract  Society,  agreeably  to  my  request.  I  hope  to  assist  in  scat 
tering  it  broadcast  over  our  broad  land ;  and  thus  you  will  be 
speaking  from  your  own  desk,  with  the  speed  of  light,  to  an 
audience  from  Passamaquoddy  to  Oregon.  Will  you  do  me  the 
favor  to  give  me  a  copy  of  '  Happy  Home,'  from  which  I  may 
teach  my  children  and  grandchildren. 

"  Respectfully  your  friend,  and  brother  in  Christ, 

"AMOS  LAWRENCE." 

(TO   A    COUNTRY    CLERGYMAN    (ORTHODOX    CONGREGATIONAL).) 

"  BOSTON,  May  16,  1850. 

"  KEV.  AND  DEAR  SIR  :  I  make  no  apology  in  asking  your 
acceptance  of  the  above,  as  I  am  quite  sure  it  cannot  come  amiss 
to  a  poor  clergyman,  situated  as  you  are.  I  pray  that  you  will 
feel,  in  using  it,  you  cheer  my  labors,  and  make  me  more  happy 
while  I  am  able  to  enjoy  life,  in  thus  sending  an  occasional 
remembrancer  to  one  for  whom  I  have  always  felt  the  highest 
respect  and  esteem.  Your  friend,  "  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 

The  above  letter  contained  a  draft  for  one  hundred 
dollars,  of  which  Mr.  Lawrence  makes  the  following 
memorandum,  dated  on  the  18th  : 

"  Mr.  -  -  acknowledges  the  above  letter  in  very  grateful 
terms,  being  what  his  pressing  wants  require." 

In  a  letter  to  President  Hopkins,  dated  June  22, 
Mr.  Lawrence  says : 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  281 

"  If  I  cannot  visit  you  bodily,  as  I  had  vainly  hoped  to  do,  I 
can  convince  you  that  the  life  and  hope  of  younger  days  are  still 
in  me.  Your  parting  word  touched  me  to  the  quick,  and  I  can 
not  repeat  or  read  it  without  a  sympathetic  tear  filling  my  own 
eye.  I  am  not  able  to  stand  up ;  but  am  cheered  by  the  hope 
that,  before  many  weeks,  I  may  be  able  to  stand  alone.  Our 
good  friend  Governor  Briggs  called  to  see  me  this  week,  and 
was  quite  horrified  to  see  me  trundled  about  on  a  hospital  chair ; 
however,  after  a  good  talk,  he  concluded  that  what  was  cut  off 
from  the  lower  works  was  added  to  the  upper,  and  the  account  in 
my  favor.  It  has  always  been  so  with  me  ;  the  dark  places  have 
been  made  clear  at  the  right  time ;  so  I  am  no  object  of  pity." 

The  lameness  here  mentioned  was  caused  by  a  slight 
sprain  of  the  ankle,  but  was  followed  by  great  prostra 
tion  of  the  bodily  strength,  and  a  feeble  state  of  all  the 
functions,  resulting  in  that  vitiated  state  of  the  blood 
called  by  physicians  "  purpura."  Violent  hemorrhages 
from  the  nose  succeeded  ;  and  these,  with  the  intense 
heat  of  the  weather,  so  reduced  his  strength,  that  the 
only  hope  of  recovery  seemed  to  be  in  removing  him 
from  the  city  to  the  bracing  air  of  the  sea-shore. 
Towards  the  end  of  July,  he  was  accordingly  removed 
upon  a  mattress  to  the  house  of  his  son,  at  Nahant ; 
and,  from  the  moment  he  came  within  the  influence  of 
the  fresh  sea-breeze,  he  began  to  recover  his  spirits  and 
his  strength.  A  day  or  two  after  reaching  Nahant,  he 
received  from  his  friend,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Sharp,  the  fol 
lowing  letter,  which  is  so  characteristic,  and  reminds 

36 


282  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

one  so  forcibly  of  the  calm  and  staid  manner  of  that 
venerable  man,  that  it  is  given  entire  : 

"  BOSTON,  July  30,  1850. 

"  MY  VERY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  It  was  with  deep  regret  I  learned, 
on  Friday  last,  that  you  were  quite  unwell,  and  at  Nahant. 
It  was  in  my  mind  yesterday  morning  to  visit  you ;  nothing 
prevented  me  but  an  apprehension  that  it  might  be  deemed 
inexpedient  to  admit  any  one  to  your  sick  room,  except  your 
own  family.  But,  although  I  have  not  seen  you  in  person 
since  your  last  sickness,  yet  I  have  been  with  you  in  spirit.  I 
have  felt  exceedingly  sad  at  the  probability  of  your  earthly 
departure.  Seldom  as  we  have  seen  each  other,  your  friendship 
has  been  precious  to  me ;  and,  to  say  nothing  of  your  dear  family, 
your  continuance  in  life  is  of  great  importance  to  that  large 
family  of  humanity,  the  poor,  who  have  so  often  participated  in 
your  bounty.  Indeed,  as  we  cannot  well  spare  you,  I  rather 
cherish  the  hope  that,  in  his  good  providence,  God  will  continue 
you  to  us  a  little  longer.  But,  whatever  may  be  the  issue  of 
your  present  illness,  I  trust  that  you,  with  all  your  friends,  will 
be  enabled  to  say,  '  The  will  of  the  Lord  be  done.'  If  he  '  lives 
the  longest  who  answers  life's  great  end,'  your  life,  compared 
with  most,  has  not  been  short.  Not  that  any  of  us  have  done 
more  than  our  duty.  Nay,  we  have  all  come  short,  and  may 
say,  with  all  modesty  and  truthfulness,  we  are  unprofitable  ser 
vants;  although,  in  some  respects,  and  to  our  fellow-beings,  we 
may  have  been  profitable.  I  trust,  my  dear  friend,  you  are  look 
ing  for  the  mercy  of  God,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  unto 
eternal  life.  Death  is  not  an  eternal  sleep ;  no,  it  is  the  gate  to 
life.  It  opens  up  a  blessed  immortality  to  all  who,  in  this  world, 
have  feared  God  and  wrought  righteousness.  This  world  is  a 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  283 

probationary  state ;  if  we  have  been  faithful,  in  some  humble 
degree,  to  our  convictions  of  duty ;  if  we  have  regretted  our 
follies  and  sins ;  if  we  have  sought  to  do  the  will  of  our  heavenly 
Father,  and  sought  forgiveness  through  the  mediation  of  his  Son, 
—  God  will  receive  us  to  his  heavenly  glory.  I  believe,  in  his 
own  good  time,  he  will  receive  you,  my  very  dear  friend ; 
although  my  prayer  is,  with  submission,  that  he  will  restore  you 
to  comfortable  health,  and  allow  you  to  remain  with  us  a  little 
longer.  May  God  be  with  you,  and  bless  you,  in  life,  in  death, 
and  forevermore  !  With  most  respectful  regard  to  Mrs.  L.,  and 
•sympathy  with  you  in  your  afflictions,  in  which  my  dear  wife 
joins,  I  am  truly  yours,  DANIEL  SHARP." 

From  Little  Nahant,  Mr.  Lawrence  writes  to  a 
friend,  under  date  of  Aug.  16  : 

"  I  have  just  arisen  from  bed,  and  am  full  of  the  matter  to  tell 
you  how  much  good  your  letter  has  done.  I  came  here  as  the 
last  remedy  for  a  sinking  man ;  and,  blessed  be  God,  it  promises 
me  renewed  life  and  enjoyment.  What  is  it  for,  that  I  am  thus 
saved  in  life,  as  by  a  miracle  ?  Surely  it  must  be  in  mercy,  to 
finish  out  my  work  begun  (in  your  college  and  other  places),  yet 
unfinished.  Pray,  give  us  what  time  you  can  when  you  visit 
Andover.  If  I  continue  to  improve  as  I  have  done  for  ten  days, 
I  hope  to  return  home  next  week ;  but  may  have  some  drawback 
that  will  alter  the  whole  aspect  of  affairs.  This  beautiful  Little 
Nahant  seems  to  have  been  purchased,  built  up,  and  provided,  by 
the  good  influence  of  our  merciful  Father  in  heaven  upon  the 
heart  of  -  — ,  that  he  might  save  me  from  death,  when  it  was 
made  certain  I  could  not  hold  out  many  days  longer,  Surely  I 
am  called  on  by  angel  voices  to  render  praise  to  God." 


284  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

The  five  weeks'  residence  upon  the  sea-shore  was 
greatly  enjoyed  by  Mr.  Lawrence.  As  the  weather 
was  generally  fine,  much  of  his  time  was  passed  in  the 
open  air,  in  watching  the  ever-varying  sea-views,  in 
reading,  or  in  receiving  the  visits  of  his  friends.  Near 
the  end  of  August,  his  health  and  strength  had  become 
so  far  restored  as  to  warrant  his  return  to  the  city,  and, 
as  his  memoranda  show,  to  increased  efforts  in  the  field 
of  charity. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

AMIN  BET.— AMOUNT  OF  DONATIONS  TO  WILLIAMS  COLLEGE. 

IN  November,  1850,  Amin  Bey,  Envoy  from  the 
Sultan  of  Turkey  to  the  United  States,  visited  Boston. 
Among  other  attentions,  Mr.  Lawrence  accompanied 
him  on  a  visit  to  the  Female  Orphan  Asylum,  then 
containing  about  one  hundred  inmates  ;  and  the  pleas 
ant  intercourse  was  continued  by  a  visit  of  the  minister 
at  Mr.  Lawrence's  house. 

The  following  note  accompanied  a  number  of 
volumes  relating  to  Boston  and  its  vicinity : 

(TO    HIS    EXCELLENCY  AMIN   BEY.) 

"MY  BROTHER:  The  manifest  pleasure  you  felt  in  visiting 
our  Female  Orphan  Asylum  yesterday  has  left  a  sunbeam  on  my 
path,  that  will  illumine  my  journey  to  our  Father's  house. 
When  we  meet  there,  may  the  joy  of  that  reunion  you  hope 
for  with  the  loved  ones  in  your  own  country  be  yours  and  mine, 
and  all  the  good  of  all  the  world  be  our  companions  for  all  time  ! 
With  the  highest  respect,  believe  me  your  friend,  A.  L." 

(TO   PRESIDENT   HOPKINS.) 

"BOSTON,  November  11,  1850. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  My  brief  letter  of  introduction  by  my 
young  friend  S.,  and  your  answer  to  it,  which  I  mislaid  or  lost 

285 


286  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

soon  after  it  came,  has  made  me  feel  a  wish  to  write  every  day 
since  the  first  week  after  I  received  yours.  S.  made  me  out  bet 
ter  than  I  was  when  he  saw  me.  I  could  walk  across  the  rooms, 
get  down  and  up  stairs  without  much  aid,  and  bear  my  weight  on 
each  foot ;  having  strength  in  my  ankle-bones  that  enabled  me  to 
enter  the  temple  walking,  not  leaping,  but  praising  God.  If  ever 
I  am  able  to  walk  so  far  as  around  the  Common,  what  gratitude 
to  God  should  I  feel  to  take  your  arm  as  my  support  !  I  am  fre 
quently  admonished  by  faint  turns  that  I  am  merely  a  '  minute- 
man,'  liable  to  be  called  for  at  any  moment.  Only  a  few  days 
since,  I  had  a  charming  call  from  Amin  Bey  and  suite,  whom 
I  received  in  my  parlors  below,  where  were  some  friends  to 
meet  him.  All  seemed  interested,  and  Amin  as  much  so  as  a 
Turk  ever  does.  When  he  left  us,  I  went  with  him  to  the  door, 
saw  him  out  and  in  his  carriage,  turned  to  open  the  inner  entry- 
door,  became  faint  just  as  M.  was  leaving  the  party,  and  leaned 
on  her  to  get  into  the  parlor.  I  was  laid  on  the  sofa,  insensible  for 
a  short  time,  but,  by  labor,  abstinence,  and  great  care,  for  two  or 
three  days,  have  got  upon  my  high  horse  again,  and  rode  with  N. 
to  make  calls  upon  the  good  people  of  Cambridge.  After  dinner, 
when  I  awoke,  I  tried  to  go  about  my  work,  but  was  called  off 
again,  and,  from  that  time  to  this,  have  been  up  a  little,  and  then 
down  a  little ;  thus  asking  me,  with  angels'  voices,  Why  are  you 
left  here  ?  The  answer  is  plain :  You  have  more  work  to  do. 
Pray,  my  dear  friend,  for  me  to  be  faithful  while  my  powers  are 
left  with  me.  The  reports  of  and  from  your  college  make  me 
feel  that  my  labors  in  helping  it  to  get  on  its  legs  have  been 
repaid  four-fold.  I  am  its  debtor,  and  will  allow  the  money  out 
of  the  next  year's  income  to  be  used  for  a  telescope,  if  you  deem 
it  best.  I  have  made  no  further  inquiry  for  the  one  in  progress 
here,  but  will  ask  W.  to  look  and  see  what  progress  is  making. 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  287 

When  I  leave  off  writing,  I  shall  ride  to  the  office  in  Court- 
square,  and  deposit  my  Whig  vote  for  Governor  Briggs  and  the 
others.  We  are  so  mixed  up  here  as  hardly  to  know  who  are  sup 
porters  of  the  regular  ticket,  and  who  not.  This  fugitive-slave 
business  will  keep  our  people  excited  till  the  law  is  blotted  out. 
In  some  of  our  best  circles  the  law  is  pronounced  unconstitu 
tional  ;  and  my  belief  is  that  Franklin  Dexter's  argument  on 
that  point  will  settle  the  question  by  starting  it,  our  great  men  to 
the  contrary  notwithstanding." 

In  the  above  letter  Mr.  Lawrence  speaks  of  the 
gratification  which  he  had  derived  from  the  results  of 
his  efforts  in  behalf  of  Williams  College  ;  and,  as  there 
may  be  no  more  fitting  place  to  give  an  account  of 
these  efforts,  the  following  record  is  here  introduced, 
from  the  pen  of  President  Hopkins.  It  is  found  in  his 
sermon  commemorative  of  the  donor,  delivered  at  the 
request  of  the  students,  on  February  21,  1853. 

"  In  October,  1841,  the  building  known  as  the  East  College 
was  burned.  Needy  as  the  institution  was  before,  this  rendered 
necessary  an  application  to  the  Legislature  for  funds ;  and,  when 
this  failed,  to  the  public  at  large.  Owing  to  a  panic  in  the  money 
market,  this  application  was  but  slightly  responded  to,  except  in 
this  town.  In  Boston  the  sum  raised  was  less  than  two  thousand 
dollars ;  and  the  largest  sum  given  by  any  individual  was  one 
hundred  dollars.  This  sum  was  given  by  Mr.  Lawrence,  who  was 
applied  to  by  a  friend  of  the  college ;  and  this,  it  is  believed,  was 
the  only  application  ever  made  to  him  on  our  behalf.  This 
directed  his  attention  to  the  wants  of  the  college ;  but  nothing 


288  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

more  was  heard  from  him  till  January,  1844.  At  that  time,  I 
was  delivering  a  course  of  the  Lowell  Lectures,  in  Boston,  when 
his  son,  Mr.  Amos  A.  Lawrence,  called  and  informed  me  that  his 
father  had  five  thousand  dollars  which  he  wished  to  place  at 
the  disposal  of  the  college.  As  I  was  previously  but  slightly 
acquainted  with  Mr.  Lawrence,  and  had  had  no  conversation  with 
him  on  the  subject,  this  was  to  me  an  entire  surprise ;  and, 
embarrassed  as  the  institution  then  was  by  its  debt  for  the  new 
buildings,  the  relief  and  encouragement  which  it  brought  to  my 
own  mind,  and  to  the  minds  of  others,  friends  of  the  college,  can 
hardly  be  expressed.  Still,  this  did  not  wholly  remove  the  debt. 
On  hearing  this  casually  mentioned,  he  said,  if  he  had  known 
how  we  were  situated,  he  thought  he  should  have  given  us  more  ; 
and  the  following  July,  without  another  word  on  the  subject,  he 
sent  me  a  check  for  five  thousand  dollars.  This  put  the  college 
out  of  debt,  and  added  two  or  three  thousand  dollars  to  its  avail 
able  funds.  In  January,  1846,  he  wrote,  saying  he  wished  to  see 
me ;  and.  on  meeting  him,  he  said  his  object  was  to  consult  me 
about  the  disposition  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  which  he  proposed 
to  give  the  college.  He  wished  to  know  how  I  thought  it  would 
do  the  most  good.  I  replied,  at  once,  By  being  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  the  trustees,  to  be  used  at  their  discretion.  He  said, 
'  Very  well ; '  and  that  was  all  that  passed  on  that  point.  So  I 
thought ;  and,  knowing  his  simplicity  of  character,  and  singleness 
of  purpose,  I  felt  no  embarrassment  in  making  that  reply.  Here 
was  a  beautiful  exemplification  of  the  precept  of  the  apostle,  '  He 
that  giveth,  let  him  do  it  with  simplicity.'  Such  a  man  had  a 
right  to  have,  for  one  of  his  mottoes,  '  Deeds,  not  words.'  This 
was  just  what  was  needed;  but  it  gave  us  some  breadth  and 
enlargement,  and  was  a  beginning  in  what  it  had  long  been  felt 
must,  sooner  or  later,  be  undertaken, —  the  securing  of  an  avail- 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  289 

able  fund  suitable  as  a  basis  for  such  an  institution.  His  next 
large  gift  was  the  library.  This  came  from  his  asking  me,  as  I 
was  riding  with  him  the  following  winter,  if  we  wanted  anything. 
Nothing  occurred  to  me  at  the  time,  and  I  replied  in  the  nega 
tive  ;  but,  the  next  day,  I  remembered  that  the  trustees  had  voted 
to  build  a  library,  provided  the  treasurer  should  find  it  could  be 
done  for  twenty-five  hundred  dollars.  This  I  mentioned  to  him. 
He  inquired  what  I  supposed  it  would  cost.  I  replied,  l  Five 
thousand  dollars.'  He  said,  at  once,  '  I  will  give  it.'  With  his 
approbation,  the  plan  of  a  building  was  subsequently  adopted  that 
would  cost  seven  thousand  dollars ;  and  he  paid  that  sum.  A 
year  or  two  subsequently,  he  inquired  of  me  the  price  of  tuition 
here,  saying  he  should  like  to  connect  Groton  Academy  with  Wil 
liams  College  ;  and  he  paid  two  thousand  dollars  to  establish  four 
scholarships  for  any  one  who  might  come  from  that  institution. 
His  next  gift  was  the  telescope,  which  cost  about  fifteen  hundred 
dollars.  The  history  of  this  would  involve  some  details  which  I 
have  not  now  time  to  give.  In  1851,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Law 
rence,  he  made  a  visit  here.  This  was  the  first  time  either  of 
them  had  seen  the  place.  In  walking  over  the  grounds,  he  said 
they  had  great  capabilities,  but  that  we  needed  more  land ;  and 
authorized  the  purchase  of  an  adjoining  piece  of  four  acres.  This 
purchase  was  made  for  one  thousand  dollars ;  and,  if  the  college 
can  have  the  means  of  laying  it  out,  and  adorning  it  suitably,  it 
will,  besides  furnishing  scope  for  exercise,  be  a  fit  addition  of  the 
charms  of  culture  to  great  beauty  of  natural  scenery.  In  addition 
to  these  gifts,  he  has,  at  different  times,  enriched  the  library  with 
costly  books,  of  the  expense  of  which  I  know  nothing.  Almost 
everything  we  have  in  the  form  of  art  was  given  by  him.  In 
December,  1845,  I  received  a  letter  from  him,  dated  the  22d,  or 

'Forefathers'  Day.'  which  enclosed  one  hundred  dollars,  to  be 
37 


290  DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

used  for  the  aid  of  needy  students  in  those  emergencies  which 
often  arise.  This  was  entirely  at  his  own  suggestion ;  and  nothing 
could  have  been  more  timely  or  appropriate  in  an  institution  like 
this,  where  so  many  young  men  are  struggling  to  make  their  own 
way.  Since  that  time,  he  has  furnished  me  with  at  least  one 
hundred  dollars  annually  for  that  purpose ;  and  he  regarded  the 
expenditure  with  much  interest.  Thus,  in  different  ways,  Mr. 
Lawrence  had  given  to  the  college  between  thirty  and  forty  thou 
sand  dollars  ;  and  he  had  expressed  the  purpose,  if  he  should  live, 
of  aiding  it  still  further.  Understanding  as  he  did  the  position 
and  wants  of  this  college,  he  sympathized  fully  with  the  trustees 
in  their  purpose  to  raise  the  sum  of  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and,  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  was  exerting  a  most  warm-hearted  and 
powerful  influence  for  its  accomplishment.  In  reference  to  this 
great  effort,  we  feel  that  a  strong  helper  is  taken  away.  The  aid 
which  Mr.  Lawrence  thus  gave  to  the  college  was  great  and  indis 
pensable  ;  and  probably  no  memorial  of  him  will  be  more  endur 
ing  than  what  he  has  done  here.  By  this,  being  dead,  he  yet 
speaks,  and  will  continue  to  speak  in  all  coming  time.  From  him 
will  flow  down  enjoyment  and  instruction  to  those  who  shall  walk 
these  grounds,  arid  look  at  the  heavens  through  this  telescope,  and 
read  the  books  gathered  in  this  library,  and  hear  instruction  from 
teachers  sustained,  wholly  or  in  part,  by  his  bounty.  Probably 
he  could  not  have  spent  this  money  more  usefully ;  and  there  is 
reason  to  believe  that  he  could  have  spent  it  in  no  way  to  bring 
to  himself  more  enjoyment.  The  prosperity  of  the  college  was  a 
source  of  great  gratification  to  him ;  and  he  said,  more  than  once, 
that  he  had  been  many  times  repaid  for  what  he  had  done  here. 
That  he  should  have  thus  done  what  he  did  unsolicited,  and  that 
he  —  and,  I  may  add,  his  family  —  should  have  continued  to  find 
in  it  so  much  of  satisfaction,  is  most  grateful  to  my  own  feelings, 


DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  291 

and  must  be  so  to  every  friend  of  the  college.  In  doing  it,  he 
seemed  to  place  himself  in  the  relation,  not  so  much  of  a  patron 
of  the  college,  as  of  a  sympathizer  and  helper  in  a  great  and 
good  work." 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

LETTERS.— DIARY. 

AT  the  beginning  of  the  year  1851,  Mr.  Lawrence 
writes  to  President  Hopkins  : 

"The  closing  of  the  old  year  was  like  our  western  horizon 
after  sunset,  bright  and  beautiful ;  the  opening  of  the  new,  radiant 
with  life,  light,  and  hope,  and  crowned  with  such  a  costume  of 
love  as  few  old  fathers,  grandfathers,  and  uncles,  can  muster  ;  in 
snort,  my  old  sleigh  is  the  pet  of  the  season,  and  rarely  appears 
without  being  well  filled,  outside  and  inside.  It  is  a  teacher  to 
the  school-children,  no  less  than  to  my  grandchildren ;  for  they 
all  understand  that,  if  they  are  well-behaved,  they  can  ride  with 
me  when  I  make  the  signal ;  and  I  have  a  strong  persuasion  that 
this  attention  to  them,  with  a  present  of  a  book  and  a  kind  word 
now  and  then,  makes  the  little  fellows  think  more  of  their  conduct 
and  behavior.  At  any  rate,  it  does  me  good  to  hear  them  call 
out,  '  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Lawrence  ? '  as  I  am  driving  along  the 
streets  and  by-ways  of  the  city."  *  *  * 

To  an  aged  clergyman  in  the  country,  who  was  blind 
and  in  indigent  circumstances,  he  writes  : 

"  Jan.  14. 

"  Your  letter  of  last  week  reached  me  on  Saturday,  and  was 
indeed  a  sunbeam,  which  quickened  me  to  do  what  I  had  intended 

292 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  293 

for  a  '  happy  new-year,'  before  receiving  yours.  I  trust  you  will 
have  received  a  parcel  sent  by  railroad,  on  Monday,  directed  to 
you,  and  containing  such  things  as  I  deemed  to  be  useful  in  your 
family ;  and  I  shall  be  more  than  paid,  if  they  add  one  tint  to  the 
'  purple  light '  you  speak  of,  that  opens  upon  your  further  hopes 
of  visiting  us  the  coming  season.  For  many  months  I  was  unable 
to  walk  ;  but  my  feet  and  ankle-bones  have  now  received  strength. 
I  feel  that  the  prayers  of  friends  have  been  answered  by  my 
renewed  power  to  do  more  work.  How,  then,  can  I  enjoy  life 
better  than  by  distributing  the  good  things  intrusted  to  me  among 
those  who  are  comforted  by  receiving  them?  So  you  need  not 
feel,  my  friend,  that  you  are  any  more  obliged  than  I  am.  The 
enclosed  bank-bills  may  serve  to  fit  up  the  materials  for  use ;  at 
any  rate,  will  not  be  out  of  place  in  your  pocket.  I  trust  to  see 
you  again  in  this  world,  which  has  to  me  so  many  interesting 
connecting  links  between  the  first  and  only  time  I  have  ever  seen 
you  (thirty-five  or  more  years  ago,  in  Dr.  Huntington's  pulpit, 
Old  South  Church)  and  the  present." 

(FROM  REV.  JAMES  HAMILTON,  D.D.) 

"  42  GOWER-STREET,  LONDON,  Feb.  15,  1851. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  No  letter  which  authorship  has  brought  to 
me  ever  gave  me  such  pleasure  as  I  received  from  yours  of  July, 
1849,  enclosing  one  which  Governor  Briggs  had  written  to  you. 
That  strangers  so  distinguished  should  take  such  interest  in  my 
writings,  and  should  express  yourselves  so  kindly  towards  myself, 
overwhelmed  me  with  a  pleasing  surprise,  and  with  thankfulness 
to  God  who  had  given  me  such  favor.  I  confess,  too,  it  helped  to 
make  me  love  more  the  country  which  has  always  been  to  me  the 
dearest  next  to  my  own.  In  conjunction  with  some  much-prized 
friendships  which  I  have  formed  among  your  ministers,  it  would 


294  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

almost  temp;  me  to  cross  the  Atlantic.  But  I  am  so  bad  a  sailor 
that  I  fear  I  must  postpone  personal  intercourse  with  those  Amer 
ican  friends  who  do  not  come  to  England,  until  we  reach  the  land 
where  there  is  no  more  sea.  However  feebly  expressed,  please 
accept  my  heartfelt  thanks  for  all  the  cost  and  trouble  you  have 
incurred  in  circulating  my  publications.  It  is  pleasant  to  me  to 
think  that  your  motive  in  distributing  them,  in  the  first  instance, 
could  not  be  friendship  for  the  author ;  and  to  both  of  us  it  will 
be  the  most  welcome  result,  if  they  promote  the  cause  of  practical 
Christianity.  Owing  to  weakness  in  the  throat  and  chest,  I  can 
not  preach  so  much  as  many  of  my  neighbors,  and  therefore  I 
feel  the  more  anxious  that  my  tracts  should  do  something  for  the 
honor  of  the  Saviour  and  the  welfare  of  mankind.  You  were  kind 
enough  to  reprint  my  last  lecture  to  young  men.  I  could  scarcely 
wish  the  same  distinction  bestowed  on  its  successor,  because  it  is  a 
fragment.  I  have  some  thoughts  of  extending  it  into  a  short 
exposition  of  Ecclesiastes,  which  is  a  book  well  suited  to  the  times, 
and  but  little  understood.  *  *  * 

"  Yours,  most  truly,  JAMES  HAMILTON." 

In  reply  to  the  above  letter,  Mr.  Lawrence  writes, 
April  8  : 

"  I  will  not  attempt  to  express  to  you  in  words  my  pleasure  in 
receiving  your  letter  of  Feb.  15,  with  its  accompaniments.  The 
lecture  delivered  to  the  young  men  on  the  4th  of  February, 
although  designated  by  you  as  a  fragment,  I  sent  to  my  friend, 
with  a  copy  of  your  letter,  asking  him  whether  he  would  advise 
its  publication,  and  whether  he  would  scatter  it  with  its  prede 
cessor  ;  and,  if  so,  I  would  pay  the  expense.  His  answer  you 
have  here,  and  I  have  the  pleasure  of  saying  that  the  *  Frag 
ment  '  will  be  ready  to  circulate  by  thousands  the  present  week ; 


OF  THB 

BII7BESITI- 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  295 

and,  when  you  shall  have  added  your  further  comments  upon 
Solomon  and  his  works,  our  American  Tract  Society  will  be  ready 
to  publish  the  whole  by  hundreds  of  thousands,  I  trust,  thus 
enabling  you  to  preach  through  our  whole  country.  The  Memoir 
of  Lady  Colquhon  is  a  precious  jewel,  which  I  shall  keep  among 
my  treasures  to  leave  my  descendants.  I  had  previously  pur 
chased  a  number  of  copies  of  the  American  edition,  and  scattered 
them  among  my  friends,  so  that  there  is  great  interest  to  see  your 
copy  sent  me.  The  part  of  your  letter  which  touched  my  heart 
most  was  that  in  which  you  speak  of  my  brother  Abbott,  and  say 
of  him  that  'no  foreign  minister  is  such  a  favorite  with  the 
British  public.'  It  brought  him  before  me  like  a  daguerreotype 
likeness,  through  every  period  of  his  life  for  fifty  years.  First,  as 
the  guiding  spirit  of  the  boys  of  our  neighborhood,  in  breaking 
through  the  deep  snow-drifts  which  often  blocked  up  the  roads  in 
winter ;  then  as  my  apprentice  in  the  city ;  and,  in  a  few  years, 
as  the  young  military  champion,  to  watch  night  and  day,  under 
arms,  on  the  point  of  Bunker  Hill  nearest  the  ocean,  the  move 
ments  of  a  British  fleet  lying  within  four  or  five  miles  of  him, 
and  threatening  the  storming  of  Boston;  then,  soon  after,  as 
embarking  in  the  very  first  ship  for  England,  after  the  close  of 
the  war,  to  purchase  goods,  which  were  received  here  in  eighty- 
three  days  after  he  sailed.  Since  that  time,  our  firm  has  never 
been  changed,  except  by  adding  '  &  Co.,'  when  other  partners 
were  admitted.  He  has  been  making  his  way  to  the  people's 
respect  and  affection  from  that  time  to  this,  and  now  fills  the  only 
public  station  I  would  not  have  protested  against  his  accepting, 
feeling  that  place  cannot  impart  grace.  My  prayers  ascend  con 
tinually  for  him,  that  he  may  do  his  work  under  the  full  impres 
sion  that  he  must  give  an  account  to  Him  whose  eye  is  constantly 
upon  him,  and  whose  <  Well  done '  will  be  infinitely  better  than 


296  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

all  things  else.  I  believe  he  is  awakening  an  interest  to  learn 
more  about  this  country ;  and  the  people  will  be  amazed  to  see 
what  opportunities  are  here  enjoyed  for  happiness  for  the  great 
mass.  What  we  most  fear  is  that  ignorance  which  will  bring 
everything  down  to  its  own  level,  instead  of  that  true  knowledge, 
which  shall  level  up  the  lowest  places,  now  inundated  with  foreign 
emigrants.  Our  duty  is  plain ;  and,  if  we  do  not  educate  and 
elevate  this  class  of  our  people,  they  will  change  our  system  of 
government  within  fifty  years.  Virtue  and  intelligence  are  the 
basis  of  this  government ;  and  the  duty  of  all  good  men  is  to  keep 
it  pure.  *  *  * 

"  And  now,  my  friend,  what  can  I  say  that  will  influence  you 
to  come  here,  and  enjoy  with  me  the  beautiful  scenes  upon  and 
around  our  Mount  Zion  ? 

"  With  the  highest  respect  and  affection,  I  am  most  truly  yours, 

"AMOS  LAWRENCE. 

"  P.  S.  —  Mrs.  L.  desires  me  to  present  to  you  and  your  lady 
her  most  respectful  regard,  with  the  assurance  that  your  writings 
are  very  precious  to  her.  She  is  a  granddaughter  to  a  clergyman 
of  your  '  Kirk,'  and  enjoys  much  its  best  writings." 

To  the  same  gentleman  he  writes  soon  after : 

"And  now  let  me  speak  about  the  'Royal  Preacher.'*  I 
expected  much,  but  not  so  much  as  I  found  in  it.  We,  on  this 
side  the  Atlantic,  thank  you ;  and  the  pictures  of  some  of  our 
own  great  men  are  drawn  to  the  life,  although  their  history  and 
character  could  not  have  been  in  your  eye.  Truth  is  the  same 
now  as  in  Solomon's  time ;  and  it  is  surprising  that  the  mass  of 
men  do  not  see  and  acknowledge  that  '  the  saint  is  greater  than 

*  A  tract  by  Dr.  Hamilton. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  297 

the  sage,  and  discipleship  to  Jesus  the  pinnacle  of  human  dignity.' 
I  have  had,  this  morning,  two  calls,  from  different  sections  of  our 
Union,  for  your  '  Life  in  Earnest,'  l  Literary  Attractions  of  the 
Bible,'  '  Solomon,'  '  Redeemed  in  Glory,'  &c.,  which  I  responded 
to  with  hearty  good-will.  Some  of  the  books  will  go  out  of  the 
country  many  thousand  miles,  and  will  do  good.  I  must  shake 
hands  with  you  across  the  Atlantic,  if  you  can't  l  screw  up '  your 
courage  to  come  here,  and  bid  you  God-speed  in  all  your  broad 
plans  for  the  good  of  your  fellow-men. 

"  I  have  a 'great  respect  for  deep  religious  feelings,  even  when 
I  cannot  see  as  my  friends  do ;  and  therefore  pray  God  to  clear 
away,  in  his  good  time,  all  that  is  now  dark  and  veiled. 

"  It  is  time  for  me  to, say  farewell." 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

SIR    T.    F.    BUXTON.  —  LETTER    FROM    LADY    BUXTON.  —  ELLIOTT 
CRESSON.  —  LETTERS. 

AFTER  the  death  of  Sir  Thomas  Fowell  Buxton,  Mr. 
Lawrence  had  read  what  had  been  published  respecting 
his  life  and  character,  and  had  formed  an  exalted 
opinion  of  his  labors  in  behalf  of  the  African  race. 
A  small  volume  had  been  issued,  entitled  "A  Study 
for  Young  Men,  or  a  Sketch  of  Sir  T.  F.  Buxton, "  by 
Rev.  T.  Binney,  of  London  Mr.  Lawrence  had  pur 
chased  and  circulated  large  numbers  of  this  work, 
which  recorded  the  deeds  of  one  upon  whom  he  con 
sidered  the  mantle  of  Wilberforce  to  have  fallen ;  and, 
through  a  mutual  friend,  he  had  been  made  known  to 
Lady  Buxton,  who  writes  to  him  as  follows  : 

"  Very,  very  grateful  am  I  for  your  love  for  him,  and,  through 
him,  to  me  and  my  children.  I  desire  that  you  may  be  enriched 
by  all  spiritual  blessings ;  and  that,  through  languor  and  illness 
and  infirmity,  the  Lord  may  bless  and  prosper  you  and  the  work 
of  your  hands.  I  beg  your  acceptance  of  the  third  edition,  in 
the  large  octavo,  of  the  memoir  of  Sir  Fowell." 

Those*  who  hare  read  the  memoir  referred  to  will 

298 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  299 

remember  the  writer,  before  her  marriage,  as  Miss 
Hannah  Gurney,  a  member  of  that  distinguished 
family  of  Friends  of  which  Mrs.  Fry  was  the  elder 
sister.  During  the  remaining  short  period  of  Mr. 
Lawrence's  life,  a  pleasant  correspondence  was  kept 
up,  from  which  a  few  extracts  will  hereafter  be  given. 

To  Elliott  Cresson,  of  Philadelphia,  the  enthusiastic 
and  veteran  champion  of  the  colonization  cause,  Mr. 
Lawrence  writes,  June  12,  1851 : 

"MY  DEAR  OLD  FRIEND  CRESSON:  I  have  just  re-read  your 
kind  letter  of  June  2,  and  have  been  feasting  upon  the  treasure 
you  sent  me  in  the  interesting  volume  entitled  '  Africa  Re 
deemed.'  I  will  set  your  heart  at  rest  at  once  by  assuring  you 
that  I  feel  just  as  you  do  towards  that  land.  Do  you  remember 
visiting  me.  a  dozen  or  more  years  ago,  to  get  me  to  lead  off  with 
a  thousand-dollar  subscription  for  colonization,  and  my  refusing 
by  assuring  you  that  I  would  not  interfere  with  the  burden  of 
slavery,  then  pressing  on  our  own  Slave  States,  until  requested 
by  them  ?  *  *  *  *  Liberia,  in  the  mean  time,  has  gone 
on,  and  now  promises  to  be  to  the  black  man  what  New  England 
has  been  to  the  Pilgrims,  and  Pennsylvania  to  the  Friends.  I 
say,  with  all  my  heart,  to  Gov.  Roberts  and  his  associates,  God 
speed  you,  and  carry  onward  and  upward  the  glorious  work  of 
redeeming  Africa  !  I  had  a  charming  message  from  a  young 
missionary  in  Africa  a  few  days  since, —  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hoifman, 
of  the  Episcopal  Mission ;  and  you  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  the 
good  work  of  education  for  Liberia  progresses  surely  and  steadily 
here.  My  son  A.  is  one  of  the  trustees  and  directors  (Prof. 
Greenleaf  is  president),  and  has  given  a  thousand  dollars  from  'a 


300  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

young  merchant ; '  and  I  bid  him  give  another  thousand  from 
1  an  old  merchant,'  which  he  will  do  as  soon  as  he  returns  from 
our  old  home  with  his  family.  Now  I  say  to  you,  my  friend,  I 
can  sympathize  and  work  with  you  while  I  am  spared.  God  be 
praised  !  we  are  greatly  favored  in  many  things.  No  period  of 
my  life  has  been  more  joyous. 

"  With  constant  affection,  I  am  yours, 

"  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 

Among  other  memoranda  of  the  present  month  is 
found  a  cancelled  note  of  five  hundred  dollars,  which 
had  been  given  by  a  clergyman  in  another  State  to  a 
corporation,  which,  by  reason  of  various  misfortunes, 
he  had  not  been  able  to  pay.  Mr.  Lawrence  had  heard 
of  the  circumstance,  and,  without  the  knowledge  of 
the  clergyman,  had  sent  the  required  sum  to  the 
treasurer  of  the  corporation,  with  directions  to  cancel 
the  obligation. 

(TO    LADY   BUXTON.) 

"BOSTON,  July  8,  1851. 

"  DEAR  LADY  BUXTON:  Your  letter,  and  the  beautiful  copy 
of  the  memoir  of  your  revered  and  world-wide  honored  husband, 
reached  me  on  the  26th  of  June.  I  have  read  and  re-read  your 
heart-touching  note  with  an  interest  you  can  understand  better 
than  I  can  describe.  I  can  say  that  I  thank  you,  and  leave  you 
to  imagine  the  rest.  Sir  Fowell  was  born  the  same  year,  and  in 
the  same  month,  that  I  was ;  and  his  character  and  his  labors  I 
have  been  well  acquainted  with  since  he  came  into  public  life ; 
and  no  man  of  his  time  stood  higher  in  my  confidence  and  respect. 
Although  I  have  never  been  in  public  life,  I  have  been  much 
interested  in  public  men ;  and  have  sometimes  had  my  confidence 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  301 

abuse  1,  but  have  generally  given  it  to  men  who  said  what  they 
meant,  and  did  what  they  said.  I  feel  no  respect  for  the  dema 
gogue,  however  successful  he  may  be ;  but  am  able  to  say,  with 
the  dear  and  honored  friend  whose  mantle  fell  upon  Sir  Fowell, 
'  What  shadows  we  are,  and  what  shadows  we  pursue  ! '  I  feel 
pity  for  the  man  who  sacrifices  his  hopes  of  heaven  for  such  vain 
objects  as  end  in  the  mere  gaze  of  this  world.  The  '  Study  for 
Young  Men,'  republished  here  a  short  time  since,  is  doing  such 
work  among  us  as  must  cheer  the  spirit  of  your  husband  in  his 
heavenly  home. 

"  I  enclose  you  a  note  from  Laura  Bridgman,  a  deaf,  dumb, 
and  blind  girl,  who  has  been  educated  at  our  asylum  for  the  last 
twelve  years  or  more  (now  about  twenty-two  years  old),  which 
may  interest  you  from  the  fact  of  her  extraordinary  situation. 
"  With  great  respect,  I  remain  most  truly  yours, 

"  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 

(TO    A   LADY    IN   PHILADELPHIA.) 

"  DEAR  L.  :  Your  call  on  me  to  '  pay  up  '  makes  me  feel  that 
I  had  forgotten,  and  therefore  neglected,  my  promise.  I  begin 
without  preface.  When  a  child,  and  all  the  way  up  to  fifty  years 
of  age,  the  incidents  of  revolutionary  history  were  so  often  talked 
over  by  the  old  soldiers  who  made  our  house  their  rendezvous 
whenever  they  came  near  it,  that  I  feel  as  if  I  had  been  an  actor 
in  the  scenes  described.  Among  these,  the  Battle  of  Bunker 
Hill  was  more  strongly  impressed  upon  my  mind  than  any  other 
event.  My  father,  then  twenty-one  years  old,  was  in  Captain 
Farwell's  company,  a  subaltern,  full  of  the  right  spirit,  as  you 
may  know,  having  some  sparks  left  when  you  used  to  ride  on  his 
sled  and  in  his  wagon,  and  eat  his  'rattle  apples,'  which  were 
coveted  by  all  the  children.  He  was  in  the  breastwork ;  and  his 
captain  was  shot  through  the  body  just  before  or  just  after  Pitcairn 


302  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

was  shot.  My  father  did  not  know  Major  Pitcairn  personally,  but 
understood  it  was  he  who  mounted  the  breastwork,  calling  to  his 
soldiers  to  follow,  when  he  pitched  into  the  slight  trench  outside, 
riddled  and  dead,  as  my  father  always  thought  as  long  as  he 
lived.  But  it  turned  out  otherwise.  He  was  brought  from  the 
field,  and  lodged  in  a  house  in  Prince-street,  now  standing  (the 
third  from  Charlestown  Bridge)  ;  and  the  intelligence  was  imme 
diately  communicated  to  the  Governor,  then  in  the  Royal  House, 
now  called  the  Province  House.  He  sent  Dr.  Kast  and  an 
officer,  accompanied  by  young  Bowdoin  as  an  amateur,  to  see  to 
the  major,  and  report.  On  entering  the  chamber,  the  doctor 
wished  to  examine  the  wound;  but  Pitcairn  declined  allowing 
him,  saying  it  was  of  no  use,  as  he  should  soon  die.  When 
pressed  by  the  argument  that  his  excellency  desired  it,  he  allowed 
Dr.  Kast  to  open  his  vest,  and  the  blood,  which  had  been 
stanched,  spirted  out  upon  the  floor ;  so  that  the  room  carried  the 
mark,  and  was  called  '  Pitcairn' s  Chamber '  until  long  after  the 
peace.  The  doctor  returned  immediately  to  the  Governor  to 
report ;  and,  before  he  could  get  back,  life  had  fled.  He  was  laid 
out  in  his  regimentals,  and  was  deposited  in  the  vault  of  St. 
George's  Church,  now  the  Stone  Chapel,  and  there  remained 
until  1788,  when  Dr.  Winship,  of  Roxbury,  then  on  a  visit  to 
London,  had  occasion  to  call  on  Dr.  C.  Letsom,  and  informed  him 
that  he  had  in  his  possession  the  key  of  the  vault ;  that  he  had 
examined  the  body,  which  was  in  so  good  a  state  of  preservation, 
that  he  recognized  the  features ;  and  that  he  had  counted  at  least 
thirty  marks  of  musket-balls  in  various  parts  of  the  body.  An 
arrangement  was  made,  through  Dr.  Winship,  for  the  removal  of 
the  body  to  England.  Dr.  William  Pitcairn  built  a  vault  in  the 
Burying-ground  of  St.  Barthrlomew,  near  the  hospital,  for  its 
reception.  Capt.  James  Scott,  the  commander  of  a  trading  vessel 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  303 

between  Boston  and  London  at  that  period,  undertook  the  service 
of  removal,  although  he  foresaw  difficulty  in  undertaking  the 
business,  on  account  of  the  strong  prejudice  of  sailors  to  having  a 
corpse  on  board.  With  a  view  to  concealment,  the  coffin  was 
enclosed  in  a  square  deal  case,  containing  the  church-organ,  which 
was  to  be  sent  to  England  for  repairs.  This  case,  with  '  Organ  ' 
inscribed  upon  it,  was  placed,  as  it  was  said,  for  better  security, 
in  a  part  of  the  ship  near  the  sailors'  berths,  and  in  that  situa 
tion  was  used  occasionally  during  the  passage  for  their  seat  or 
table.  On  arrival  of  the  ship  in  the  river,  an  order  was  obtained 
for  the  landing  of  the  case ;  and,  as  it  was  necessary  to  describe 
its  contents,  the  order  expressed  permission  to  land  a  corpse. 
This  revealed  the  stratagem  of  Capt.  Scott,  and  raised  such  a 
feeling  among  the  sailors  as  .to  show  that  they  would  not  have 
been  quiet  had  they  known  the  truth  respecting  their  fellow- 
lodger.  Major  Pitcairn  was  the  only  British  officer  particularly 
regarded  by  our  citizens,  as  ready  to  listen  to  their  complaints, 
and,  as  far  as  in  his  power,  to  relieve  them,  when  not  impeded  by 
his  military  duties.  Our  excellent  old  friend  B.  will  be  inter 
ested  in  the  '  Stone  Chapel '  part  of  this  story,  and  probably  can 
add  particulars  that  I  may  have  omitted. 

"  Your  affectionate  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

LETTERS.— REV.  DR.  SCORESBY.  —  WABASH   COLLEGE. 

AFTER  receiving  a  note  from  a  relative  of  Lady  Cole- 
brooke,  announcing  her  death,  at  Dunscombe,  in  the 
island  of  Barbadoes,  Mr.  Lawrence  wrote  the  following 
note  of  sympathy  to  her  husband,  Sir  William  Cole- 
brooke,  then  Governor  of  that  island.  She  will  be 
remembered  as  the  lady  who  had  formerly  visited 
Boston,  and  who  was  alluded  to  in  one  of  his  letters,  as 
a  niece  of  Major  Andre  : 

"  DEAR  SIR  WILLIAM  :  I  lose  no  time  in  expressing  to  you  the 
feelings  of  my  heart,  on  reading  the  brief  notice  of  the  last  hours 
of  dear  Lady  Colebrooke.  All  my  recollections  and  associations 
of  her  are  of  the  most  interesting  character ;  and  for  yourself  I 
feel  more  than  a  common  regard.  We  may  never  meet  again  in 
this  world ;  but  it  matters  little,  if,  when  we  are  called  off,  we  are 
found  '  in  line,'  and  ready  to  receive  the  cheering  '  Well  done ' 
when  we  reach  that  better  world  we  hope  for.  I  trust  that  you, 
and  all  your  dear  ones,  have  been  in  the  hollow  of  our  Father's 
hand,  through  the  shadings  of  his  face  from  you  ;  and  that,  in  his 
own  good  time,  all  will  be  cleared  away. 

"  Faithfully  and  respectfully  yours,         AMOS  LAWRENCE. 

"  BOSTON,  Aug.  8,  1851." 

304 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  305 

(TO   THE    HON.    CHARLES   B.    HADDOCK,    MINISTER     OF   THE  UNITED    STATES    TO 

PORTUGAL.) 

"  BOSTON,  Aug.  19,  1851. 

"  DEAR  AND  KIND-HEARTED  FRIEND  :  Your  letters  to  me  before 
leaving  the  country,  and  after  reaching  England,  awakened  many 
tender  remembrances  of  times  past,  and  agreeable  hopes  of  times 
to  come.  In  that,  I  felt  as  though  I  had  you  by  the  hand,  with 
that  encouraging  '  Go  forward '  in  the  fear  of  God,  and  confidence 
in  his  fatherly  care  and  guidance.  I  know  your  views  have 
always  put  this  trust  at  the  head  of  practical  duties,  and  that  you 
will  go  forward  in  your  present  duties,  and  do  better  service  to  the 
country  than  any  man  who  could  be  sent.  Portugal  is  a  sealed 
book,  in  a  great  degree,  to  us.  Who  so  able  to  unlock  and  lay 
open  its  history  as  yourself?  Now,  then,  what  leisure  you  have 
may  be  most  profitably  applied  to  the  spreading  out  the  treas 
ures  before  us  ;  and,  my  word  for  it,  your  reputation  as  a  writer 
and  a  thinker  will  make  whatever  you  may  publish  of  this  sort 
desirable  to  be  read  by  the  great  mass  of  our  reading  population. 
*  *  *  #  *  * 

"  I  hold  that  God  has  given  us  our  highest  enjoyments,  in 
every  period,  from  childhood  to  old  age,  in  the  exercise  of  our 
talents  and  our  feelings  with  reference  to  his  presence  and  over 
sight  •  and  that,  at  any  moment,  he  may  call  us  off,  and  that  we 
may  thus  be  left  to  be  among  the  children  of  light  or  of  darkness, 
according  to  his  word  and  our  preparation.  These  enjoyments  of 
childhood,  of  middle  age,  of  mature  life,  and  of  old  age,  are  all 
greatly  increased  by  a  constant  reference  to  the  source  from 
whence  they  come;  and  the  danger  of  great  success  in  life  is 
more  to  be  feared,  in  our  closing  account,  than  anything  else.  A 
brief  space  will  find  us  in  the  earth,  and  of  no  further  consequence 
than  as  we  shall  have  marked  for  good  the  generation  of  men 
39 


306  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

growing  up  to  take  our  places.  The  title  of  an  honest  man,  who 
feared  God,  is  worth  more  than  all  the  honors  and  distinction  of 
the  world.  Pray,  let  me  hear  from  you,  and  the  dear  lady,  whom 
I  hope  to  escort  once  more  over  the  sides  of  our  Mount  Zion,  and 
introduce  to  some  of  my  children  and  grandchildren  settled  upon 
the  borders ;  and,  if  any  stranger  coming  this  way  from  you  will 
accept  such  facilities  as  I  can  give  to  our  institutions,  I  shall 
gladly  render  them.  It  is  now  many  years  since  I  have  sat  at 
table  with  my  family,  and  I  am  now  better  than  I  have  been  at 
any  time  during  that  period ;  in  short,  I  am  light-hearted  as  a 
child,  and  enjoy  the  children's  society  with  all  the  zest  of  early 
days.  I  must  say,  '  God  speed  you,  my  friend,'  and  have  you 
constantly  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand  !  In  all  kind  remembrances, 
Mrs.  L.  joins  me,  to  your  lady  and  yourself. 

"  Faithfully  and  respectfully  your  friend, 

"  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 

On  the  same  day  that  the  preceding  letter  was 
penned,  Mr.  Lawrence,  in  acknowledgment  of  some 
work  sent  to  him  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Scoresby,  of  Brad 
ford,  England,  wrote  the  following  letter.  That  gen 
tleman  had  visited  this  country  twice,  and  had  made 
many  friends  in  Boston.  Once  an  Arctic  traveller,  and 
a  man  of  great  scientific  acquirement,  he  has  now 
become  an  eminent  and  active  clergyman  in  the  Church 
of  England,  and  has  devoted  all  his  energies  to  the 
task  of  elevating  the  lower  orders  of  the  population 
where  his  field  of  labor  has  been  cast. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  307 

"  BOSTON,  Aug.  19,  1851. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  Your  letter  from  Torquay,  of  ninth 
July,  reached  me  on  the  sixth  of  this  month.  It  brought  to 
memory  our  agreeable  intercourse  of  former  years,  and  cheered 
me  with  the  hope  that  I  might  again  see  you  in  this  world,  and 
again  shake  your  hand  in  that  cordial,  social  way  that  goes  direct 
to  the  heart.  I  had  been  much  interested  in  the  account  brought 

by ,  and  in  your  kind  messages  by  him.  Your  memorials 

of  your  father  interest  me  exceedingly,  and  I  thank  you  most 
sincerely  for  the  volume  and  the  sermon  you  sent.  This  sermon 
I  sent  to  a  friend  of  mine,  and  also  a  friend  of  yours,  who 
became  such  after  hearing  you  preach  in  Liverpool.  Professor 

— ,  of College,  is  a  most  talented,  efficient,  and  popular 

teacher ;  and  his  present  position  he  has  attained  by  his  industry 
and  his  merit.  He  was  a  poor  youth,  in  Liverpool,  who  followed 
you  in  your  preaching  •  came  here,  and  went  as  an  apprentice  to 
a  mechanical  business ;  was  noticed  as  a  bright  fellow ;  was  edu 
cated  by  persons  assisting  him,  and  graduated  at College. 

He  became  a  tutor,  and  is  now  a  professor,  and  is  an  honor  to  the 
college  and  his  nation.  We  are  all  at  work  in  New  England, 
and  now  feel  a  twinge  from  too  fast  driving  in  some  branches  of 
business  ;  but,  in  the  aggregate,  our  country  is  rapidly  advancing 
in  wealth,  power,  and  strength,  notwithstanding  the  discontent  of 
our  Southern  brethren.  We  have  allowed  the  '  black  spot '  to  be 
too  far  spread  over  our  land ;  it  should  have  been  restrained  more 
than  thirty  years  ago,  and  then  our  old  Slave  States  would  have 
had  no  just  cause  of  complaint.  I  am  called  off,  and  must  bid 
you  farewell,  with  kind  regards  of  Mrs.  L.,  and  my  own  most 
faithful  and  affectionate  remembrance,  AMOS  LAWRENCE. 

"  REV.  WILLIAM  SCORESBY,  D.D.,  Torquay,  Devonshire,  Eng." 


308  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

(TO   PRESIDENT   HOPKINS.) 

"  BOSTON,  Nov.  15,  1851. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  This  is  a  rainy  day,  which  keeps  me 
housed ;  and,  to  improve  it  in  '  pursuit,'  I  have  a  bundle  made 
up,  of  the  size  of  a  small  '  haycock,'  and  directed  to  you  by  rail 
road,  with  a  few  lines  enclosed  for  the  amusement  of  the  children. 
I  have  told  A.  and  L.  that  they  could  n't  jump  over  it ;  but  H. 
could,  by  having  a  clear  course  of  two  rods.  Louis  Dwight  has 
spent  a  half-hour  with  me  this  morning,  exhibiting  and  explaining 
his  plan  for  the  new  Lunatic  Asylum  of  the  State,  which  I  think 
is  the  best  model  I  f  have  ever  seen,  and  is  a  decided  improvement 
on  all  our  old  ones.  The  committee,  of  which  Governor  Briggs  is 
chairman,  will  give  it  a  careful  consideration  and  comparison 
with  Dr.  Bell's,  and  perhaps  Dr.  Butler's  and  others ;  and,  with 
such  an  amount  of  talent  and  experience,  the  new  asylum  will  be 
the  best,  I  trust,  that  there  is  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  Louis 
Dwight  is  in  fine  spirits,  and  in  full  employ  in  his  peculiar  line. 
The  new  institution  in  New  York  for  vagrant  children  will  very 
likely  be  built  on  his  plan.  He  is  really  doing  his  work  most 
successfully,  in  classing  and  separating  these  young  sinners,  so 
that  they  may  be  reclaimed,  and  trained  to  become  useful  citizens ; 
in  that  light,  he  is  a  public  benefactor.  *  *  * 
"  Faithfully  and  affectionately  yours, 

"  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 

In  a  letter  to  a  friend,  written  on  Sunday,  and 
within  a  few  days  of  the  preceding,  Mr.  Lawrence 
says,  after  describing  one  of  his  severe  attacks  : 

"  I  am  not  doing  wrong,  I  think,  in  consecrating  a  part  of  the 
day  to  you,  being  kept  within  doors  by  one  of  those  kindly  admo- 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  309 

nitions  which  speaks  through  the  body,  and  tells  me  that  my 
home  here  is  no  shelter  from  the  storm.  I  had  been  unusually 
well  for  some  weeks  past,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  my  days 
passed  with  a  rapidity  and  joyousness  that  nothing  short  of  the 
intercourse  with  the  loved  ones  around  me  could  have  caused. 
What  can  be  more  emphatic,  until  my  final  summons  ?  If  my 
work  is  done,  and  well  done,  I  should  not  dread  the  summons ; 
pray  that  it  may  be,  and  that  we  may  meet  again  after  a  brief 
separation.  I  am  hoping  to  be  safely  housed  by  and  by  where 
cold  and  heat,  splendid  furniture,  luxurious  living,  and  handsome 
houses,  and  attendants,  will  all  be  thought  of  as  they  really 
merit." 

Mr.  Lawrence  had,  for  a  considerable  time,  been 
interested  in  the  Wabash  College,  at  Crawfordsville, 
Indiana  ;  and,  on  the  24th  of  November,  announced  to 
the  Trustees  a  donation  from  Mrs.  L.  of  twelve  hundred 
dollars,  to  founcl  four  free  scholarships  for  the  use  of  the 
academy  at  Groton.  He  adds  : 

"  I  would  recommend  that  candidates  for  the  scholarships  who 
abstain  from  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks  and  tobacco  always 
have  a  preference.  This  is  not  to  be  taken  as  a  prohibition,  but 
only  as  a  condition  to  give  a  preference." 

Mr.  Lawrence  speaks  of  his  interest  in  Wabash  Col 
lege,  growing  out  of  his  affection  and  respect  for  its 
President,  the  Rev.  Charles  White,  D.D.,  who  went 
from  New  England,  and  with  whom  he  had  become 
acquainted  during  a  visit  which  that  gentleman  had 


310  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

made  to  his  native  State.  Eight  days  after  this  dona 
tion  to  Wabash  College,  Mr.  Lawrence  enclosed  to 
Rev.  Dr.  Pond,  of  the  Theological  School  at  Bangor, 
Maine,  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars  ;  which  he 
says,  with  other  sums  already  subscribed  by  others 
for  new  professorships,  would  "  prove  a  great  blessing 
to  all  who  resort  to  the  insfitution  through  all  time." 


CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

DIARY.— AMOUNT  OF    CHARITIES.  —  LETTERS.  —  THOMAS   TARBELL. 
—  UNCLE  TOBY.— REV.  DR.  LOWELL. 

"  January  1,  1852.  —  THE  value  of  my  property  is  somewhat 
more  than  it  was  a  year  ago,  and  I  pray  God  that  I  may  be  faith 
ful  in  its  use.  My  life  seems  now  more  likely  to  be  spared  for  a 
longer  season  than  for  many  years  past ;  and  I  never  enjoyed 
myself  more  highly.  Praise  the  Lord,  0  my  soul  ! 

u  P.  S. — The  outgoes  for  all  objects  since  January  1,  1842 
(ten  years),  have  been  six  hundred  and  four  thousand  dollars, 
more  than  five  sixths  of  which  have  been  applied  in  making  other 
people  happy ;  and  it  is  no  trouble  to  find  objects  for  all  I  have 
to  spare." 

This  sum,  in  addition  to  the  subscriptions  and  dona 
tions  for  the  year  1852,  makes  the  amount  of  his 
expenditures  for  charitable  purposes,  during  the  last 
eleven  years  of  his  life,  to  be  about  five  hundred  and 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  From  1829  to  1842,  the 
sum  expended  for  like  appropriations  was,  according 
to  his  memoranda,  one  hundred  and  fourteen  thousand 
dollars  ;  making,  for  the  last  twenty- three  years  of  his 
life,  the  sum  of  six  hundred  and  thirty-nine  thousand 

311 


312  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

dollars  expended  in  charity.  Taking  the  amount  of  his 
property  at  various  times,  as  noted  by  himself,  from 
the  year  1807  to  1829,  a  period  of  twenty-two  years, 
with  his  known  liberality  and  habits  of  systematic  char 
ity  >  it  would  be  safe  to  assert  that  during  his  life  he 
expended  seven  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  the  ben 
efit  of  his  fellow-men.  Many  persons  have  done  more  ; 
but  few  perhaps  have  done  as  much  in  proportion  to  the 
means  which  they  had  to  bestow. 

In  a  letter  to  President  Hopkins,  dated  March  31, 
Mr.  Lawrence  writes  : 

"  I  am  interested  in  everything  you  write  about  in  your  last 
letter ;  but  among  the  items  of  deepest  interest  is  the  fact  of  the 
religious  feeling  manifested  by  the  young  men  •  and  I  pray  God 
it  may  take  deep  root,  and  grow,  and  become  the  controlling 
power  in  forming  their  character  for  immortality.  I  trust  they 
will  count  the  cost,  and  act  consistently.  May  God  speed  them 
in  this  holy  work  !  " 

A  few  days  later,  he  writes  on  the  same  subject : 

"And  now  let  us  turn  to  matters  of  more  importance;  the 
awakening  of  the  young  men  of  your  college  to  their  highest 
interest, —  the  salvation  of  their  souls.  I  have  been  moved  to 
tears  in  reading  the  simple  statement  of  the  case,  and  I  pray  God 
to  perfect  the  good  work  thus  begun.  I  have  much  to  think  of 
to-day,  this  being  my  sixty-sixth  birth-day.  The  question  comes 
home  to  me,  What  I  am  rendering  to  the  Lord  for  all  his  benefits ; 
and  the  answer  of  conscience  is,  Imperfect  service.  If  accepted, 


DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  313 

it  will  be  through  mercy  ;  and,  with  this  feeling  of  hope,  I  keep 
about,  endeavoring  to  scatter  good  seed  as  I  go  forth  in  my  daily 
ministrations." 

The  following  correspondence  was  not  received  in 
time  to  be  placed  in  the  order  of  its  date,  but  is  now 
given  as  an  illustration  of  Mr.  Lawrence's  views  on 
some  important  points,  and  also  as  an  instance  of  his 
self-control.  In  the  autumn  of  1847,  he  became  ac 
quainted  with  the  Eev.  Dr.  -  — ,  a  Scotch  Presbyterian 
clergyman,  then  on  a  visit  to  some  friends  in  Boston. 
During  a  drive  in  the  environs,  with  this  gentleman 
and  the  Kev.  Dr.  Blagden,  Mr.  Lawrence  made  a 
remark  of  a  practical  nature  upon  some  religious  topic, 
which  did  not  coincide  with  the  views  of  his  Scotch 
friend  ;  and  a  debate  ensued,  which  was  characterized 
by  somewhat  more  of  warmth  than  was  warranted  by 
the  nature  of  the  subject.  Mutual  explanations  and 
apologies  followed,  and  the  correspondence,  which  was 
continued  after  the  return  of  Dr.  -  —  to  Scotland, 
shows  that  the  discussion  on  the  occasion  referred  to 
had  caused  no  diminution  of  their  mutual  regard  or 
good-will. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Blagden,  in  a  note  to  the  editor,  dated 
Boston,  April  18,  1855,  writes  as  follows  : 

"  As  the  result  of  our  incidental  conversation  on  Monday  last, 
let  me  say,  that  the  facts  of  which  we  spoke  occurred  during  a 
drive  which  the  Rev.  Dr.  -   — ,  of  Scotland,  and  I  were  enjoy- 
40 


314  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

ing  with  your  father,  in  his  carriage,  at  his  kind  invitation,  in 
October,  1847. 

"  Without  being  able  to  recall  the  precise  connection  in  which 
the  remarks  were  made,  I  only  now  remember  that  Mr.  Lawrence 
was  led  to  speak  with  some  degree  of  warmth,  but  with  entire 
kindness,  on  the  great  error  of  relying  on  any  idea  of  justification 
before  Uod  by  faith,  without  corresponding  works  :  so  that,  to  one 
not  familiar  with  the  religious  events  in  the  history  of  this  com 
munity,  which,  by  operating  on  Mr.  Lawrence's  habits  of  thought, 
might  well  lead  him  to  be  jealous  of  any  view  of  faith  which  did 
not  directly  express  the  necessity  of  good  works,  his  remarks 
might  very  readily  have  seemed  like  a  direct  attack  on  that  great 
truth  of  justification  by  faith,  which  Luther  affirmed  to  be,  as  it 
was  held  or  rejected,  the  test  of  a  falling  or  rising  church. 

"  Immediately,  that  which  the  late  Edward  Irving,  in  one  of 
his  sermons,  under  the  name  of  '  Orations,'  calls  the  '  ingenium 

perfervidum  Scotorum,'  burst  frorn^  the  Rev.  Dr. ,  with 

something  of  that  zeal  for  the  doctrines  of  Knox  and  Calvin  for 
which  I  understand  he  has  been  somewhat  remarkable  in  his  own 
country.  He  vehemently  declared  his  abhorrence  of  any  such 
denial  of  the  first  and  fundamental  truth  of  the  Gospel,  evidently 
taking  it  somewhat  in  the  light  of  an  insult  to  us  as  the  preachers 
of  that  truth.  He  ended  by  saying,  with  much  force  and  warmth, 
that  the  apostle  Paul  sometimes  condensed  the  whole  of  the  Gos 
pel  into  a  single  phrase ;  and  one  of  these  phrases,  as  expressed 
in  the  Epistle  to  the  Philippians.  he  commended  to  the  notice  of 
Mr.  Lawrence,  namely,  '  We  are  the  circumcision  which  worship 
God  in  the  spirit ;  and  rejoice  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  have  no 
confidence  in  the  flesh.' 

"  Mr.  Lawrence  met  this  strong,  and  apparently  indignant,  and 
truly  honest  expression  of  feeling,  with  entire  courtesy  and  self- 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  315 

command,  but  with  evident  and  deep  emotion  ;  and,  repressing  all 
expression  of  displeasure,  he  gradually  led  the  conversation  to  less 
unwelcome  subjects,  so  that  our  ride  ended  pleasantly,  though  the 
embarrassment  created  by  this  event  continued,  in  a  lessening 
degree,  to  its  close. 

"  It  will  probably  add  to  the  interest  of  the  whole  transaction, 
in  your  own  mind,  if  I  state,  not  only  what  you  seemed  aware  of 
on  Monday,  that  your  father  sent  me,  a  day  or  two  after,  i  Barr's 
Help '  (I  believe  is  the  name  of  the  volume),  with  a  very  kind 
and  polite  note,  alluding  to  what  had  passed,  and  a  paper  con 
taining  some  development  of  his  own  religious  belief;  but  Rev. 
Dr.  -  — ,  also,  soon  after,  in  alluding  to  the  circumstances  in 
a  note  to  me,  on  another  subject,  and  which  is  now  before  me, 
wrote : 

"  <  I  regret  the  warmth  with  which  I  did  so.  Alas  !  it  is  my 
infirmity ;  but  it  was  only  a  momentary  flash,  for  I  was  enabled, 
through  a  silent  act  of  prayer,  to  get  my  mind  purged  of  all  heat, 
before  I  ventured  to  resume  the  conversation  on  the  vital  topic 
which  our  good  and  kind  friend  himself  was  led  to  introduce.' 

1  i  I  suspect  this  will  reach  you  at  an  hour  too  late  entirely  for 
the  use  which  you  thought  might  possibly  be  made  of  it.  It  may, 
however,  have  some  little  interest,  as  a  further  development  of  the 
excellent  character  of  your  father ;  and  it  refers  to  a  scene  of 
which  I  have  never  been  in  the  habit  of  speaking  to  others,  but 
which  I  shall  always  remember  with  great  interest,  as  one  among 
many  pleasing  and  profitable  recollections  of  him." 

The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  the  paper 
referred  to  in  the  preceding  communication : 


816  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

"  BOSTON,  November  4,  1847. 
"To  Rev.  G.  W.  BLAGDEN,  D.U. 

"  EEV.  AND  DEAR  SIR  :  Our  interesting  ride  last  Thursday 
has  peculiar  claims  upon  me  as  a  teacher  and  a  preacher  for  a 
better  world.  To  one  who  knows  me  well,  my  unceremonious 
manner  to  our  friend  would  not  seem  so  strange  ;  but  it  was  none 
the  less  unkind  in  me  to  treat  him  thus. 

"  My  first  impressions  are  generally  the  right  ones,  and  govern 
the  actions  of  daily  and  hourly  experience  here ;  and  these  impres 
sions  were  entirely  favorable  to  our  friend  ;  and  my  treatment,  up 
to  the  moment  that  you  l  poured  your  oil  upon  the  waters,'  had 
been  such  as  I  am  now  well  pleased  with.  But  the  conversation 
then  commenced ;  and  the  lecture,  illustrations,  arguments,  and 
consequences,  were  all  stereotyped  in  my  mind,  having  been 
placed  there  twenty-seven  years  ago  by  a  learned  and  pious 
Scotchman,  whose  character  came  back  to  my  memory  like  a 
flash  of  light.  It  is  enough  to  say  that  a  multitude  of  matters 
wholly  adverse  to  my  first  impressions  left  me  no  command  of  my 
courtesies ;  and  I  stopped  the  conversation.  *  *  * 

"  I  believe  that  our  Saviour  came  among  men  to  do  them  good, 
and,  having  performed  his  mission,  has  returned  to  his  Father  and 
to  our  Father,  to  his  God  and  our  God  ;  and  if,  by  any  means,  he 
will  receive  me  as  a  poor  and  needy  sinner  with  the  l  Well  done ' 
into  the  society  of  those  whom  he  shall  have  accepted,  I  care  not 
what  sort  of  ism  I  am  ranked  under  here. 

"  There  is  much,  I  think,  that  may  be  safely  laid  aside  among 
Christians  who  are  honest,  earnest,  and  self-denying.  Again  I  say, 
I  have  no  hope  in  isms,  but  have  strong  hope  in  the  cross  of  Christ. 

"  The  little  book*  I  send  is  a  fuller  exposition  of  the  Kirk's 

*  "Help  to  Professing  Christians.  By  Rev.  John  Barr.  Published  by 
Perkins  and  Marvin.  Boston,  1831." 


DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  317 

doctrine  than  our  friend's.  I  have  reviewed  it,  and  see  no  reason 
to  alter  a  prayer  or  an  expression.  Return  it  at  your  leisure, 
with  the  two  notes  of  our  friend  to  me  since  our  drive.  Soon 
after  I  left  you,  I  came  home,  sat  down  at  my  table  to  write  a 
note  as  an  apology  to  him  for  my  rudeness  in  stopping  his  dis 
course,  fainted,  went  to  bed  ;  next  day,  ate  three  ounces  of  crusts, 
rode  out,  and  went  to  bed  sick  with  a  cold  in  my  face.  For  the 
following  forty-eight  hours,  I  did  not  take  an  ounce  of  food ;  the 
slightest  amount  of  liquid  sustained  me  ;  and  yesterday  was  the 
first  day  of  my  being  a  man.  To-day,  I  called  to  see  and  apologize 
to  you."  *  *  *  *  * 

(TO   A   FRIEND   IN   SOUTH   CAROLINA.) 

"BOSTON,  June  12,  1852. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  The  announcement  of  the  death  of  your 
beloved  wife,  and  the  queries  and  suggestions  you  made,  touched 
me  in  a  tender  place.  You  and  your  dear  wife  are  separated,  it 
is  true  ;  but  she  is  in  the  upper  room,  you  in  the  lower.  She  is 
with  Jesus,  where,  with  his  disciples,  he  keeps  the  feast ;  and,  not 
long  hence,  he  will  say  to  you,  l  Come  up  hither.'  Your  spirit 
and  hers  meet  daily  at  the  same  throne, —  hers  to  praise,  yours  to 
pray ;  and,  when  you  next  join  her  in  person,  it  will  be  to  part  no 
more.  Is  not  the  prospect  such  as  to  gild  the  way  with  all  those 
charms,  which,  in  our  childhood,  used  to  make  our  hours  pass  too 
slowly?  *  *  *  *  * 

"  My  connection  with  the  people  of  your  State,  growing  out  of 
my  marriage,  has  brought  me  into  personal  intercourse,  for  more 
than  thirty  years  past,  with  a  great  family  connection,  embracing 
in  its  circle  many  of  your  distinguished  characters.  All  the  M. 
family,  of  whom  your  present  Governor  is  one,  came  from  the 
same  stock ;  and  the  various  ramifications  of  that  family  at  the 
South  include,  I  suppose,  a  great  many  thousand  souls.  1, 


318  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

therefore  take  a  lively  interest  in  everything  interesting  to  your 
people.  We  have  hot  heads,  and  so  have  you  j  but  I  think  your 
people  misjudge,  when  they  think  of  setting  up  an  independent 
government.  The  peculiar  institution  which  is  so  dear  to  them 
will  never  be  interfered  with  by  sober,  honest  men ;  but  will  never 
be  allowed  to  be  carried  where  it  is  not  now,  under  the  Federal 
government.  Politicians,  like  horse-jockeys,  strive  to  cover  up 
wind-broken  constitutions,  as  though  in  full  health  ;  but  hard 
driving  reveals  the  defect,  and,  within  thirty  years,  the  old  Slave 
States  will  feel  compelled  to  send  their  chattels  away  to  save 
themselves  from  bankruptcy  and  starvation.  I  have  never  coun 
tenanced  these  abolition  movements  at  the  North ;  and  have  lately 
lent  a  hand  to  the  cause  of  Colonization,  which  is  destined  to  make 
a  greater  change  in  the  condition  of  the  blacks  than  any  event 
since  the  Christian  era.  *  *  * 

"  You  need  no  new  assurance  of  my  interest  in,  and  respect  for, 
yourself,  and  the  loved  ones  around  you.  I  enjoy  life  as  few  old 
men  do,  I  believe ;  for  my  family  seem  to  live  around  and  for 
me.  My  nephew  by  marriage,  Franklin  Pierce,  seems  to  be  a 
prominent  candidate  for  the  '  White  House '  for  the  next  four 
years.  He  is  the  soul  of  honor,  and  an  old-fashioned  Democrat, 
born  and  bred,  and  to  be  depended  on  as  such  •  but,  as  I  am  an 
old-fashioned  George  Washington,  John  Jay  Federalist,  from  my 
earliest  days,  and  hope  to  continue  to  be,  I  shall  prefer  one  of  this 
stamp  to  him.  *  *  * 

"  With  a  heart  overflowing,  I  hardly  know  where  to  stop.  We 
shall  meet  in  the  presence  of  the  Saviour,  if  we  hold  fast  to  the 
hem  of  his  garment ;  and  I  hope  may  be  of  the  number  of  those 
whose  sins  are  forgiven. 

"  Ever  yours,  AMOS  LAWRENCE." 

During    the    summer,    a    small   volume    appeared, 


DIARY   AND    CORRESPONDENCE..  319 

entitled  "  Uncle  Toby's  Stories  on  Tobacco."  Mr. 
Lawrence  read  it  ;  and  the  views  there  inculcated  so 
nearly  coincided  with  his  own,  so  often  expressed 
during  his  whole  life,  that  he  caused  two  editions,  of 
some  thousands  of  copies,  to  be  published  and  circu 
lated,  principally  by  the  boys  of  the  Mather  School. 
On  this  subject,  he  writes  to  President  Hopkins,  under 
date  of  Aug.  5  : 

"  My  two  last  scraps  told  their  own  stories  to  the  children,  and 
to-day  you  will  receive  a  package  by  express  that  may  require 
explanation.  Uncle  Toby  has  hit  the  nail  on  the  head  in  telling 
his  tobacco  stories  to  American  lads ;  and  I  think  your  students 
will  do  good  service  in  carrying  them  among  their  friends 
wherever  they  are,  to  show  them  how  much  better  it  is  to  prevent 
an  evil  than  to  remedy  it ;  and,  taking  school-boys  as  they  are, 
these  stories  will  do  more  good  than  any  that  have  been  published. 
I  met  the  author  yesterday  accidentally  at  the  American  Sabbath 
School  Union  Depository,  where  I  had  just  paid  for  the  fifty 
copies  sent  to  you,  and  he  was  very  earnest  to  have  me  write  a  few 
lines  for  him  to  publish  in  his  book ;  but  I  referred  him  to  the 
three  hundred  boys  of  the  Mather  School,  who  are  full  of  the 
matter  to  help  other  school-boys  to  do  as  they  are  doing.  How 
ever,  I  may  say  to  him,  that,  as  a  school-boy,  I  was  anxious  to  be 
manly,  like  the  larger  boys ;  and,  by  the  advice  of  one,  I  took  a 
quid,  and  kept  it  till  I  was  very  sick,  but  did  not  tell  my  parents 
what  the  matter  was ;  and,  from  that  time  to  this,  have  never 
chewed,  smoked,  or  snuffed.  To  this  abstinence  from  its  use  (and 
from  spirit)  I  owe,  under  God,  my  present  position  in  society. 
Further,  I  have  always  given  the  preference  to  such  persons  as  I 


320  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

have  employed,  for  more  than  forty  years  past,  who  have  avoided 
rum  and  tobacco ;  and  my  experience  has  been  such  as  to  confirm 
me  that  it  is  true  wisdom  to  have  done  so.  The  evil  is  growing 
in  a  fearfully  rapid  ratio  among  us ;  and  requires  the  steady  course 
of  respected  and  honored  men  to  prevent  its  spread,  by  influencing 
the  school-children  of  our  land  against  becoming  its  slaves.  You 
will  please  use  the  fifty  copies  in  the  way  you  think  best.  If  my 
life  is  spared,  the  Mather  School  boys  will  be  allowed  to  tell  their 
own  experience  to  the  boys  of  all  the  other  public  schools  in  this 
city  and  neighborhood.  In  short,  I  look  to  these  boys  influencing 
three  millions  of  boys  within  the  next  thirty  or  forty  years.  Is 
not  this  work  worth  looking  after?  " 

The  following  well-merited  tribute  to  the  character 
of  a  respected  citizen,  who  devoted  his  life  to  the  pro 
motion  of  every  good  object,  is  extracted  from  a  note 
written  by  Mr.  Lawrence  to  the  Hon.  Benjamin  Seaver, 
then  Mayor  of  the  city,  and  dated  Aug.  23  : 

"  MY  FRIEND  SEAVER  :  I  have  desired,  for  some  weeks  past, 
to  inquire  of  you  some  further  particulars  of  the  disposition  our 
friend  Tarbell  *  made  of  his  property.  You  mentioned  that  some 
thing  would  be  paid  over  to  A.  &  A.  Lawrence,  and  something  to 
the  Old  Ladies'  Home,  which  institution  he  helped  forward  by 
his  labors  and  his  influence,  in  an  important  stage  of  its  existence ; 
and  he  was  called  off  just  as  he  was  beginning  to  enjoy  the  fruits 
of  his  labor,  in  making  a  multitude  of  old  ladies  happy  in  thus 
supplying  them  a  home  for  the  remainder  of  their  days  on  earth. 
Our  friend  has  passed  on ;  but  I  doubt  not  that  his  labors  have 

*  The  late  Thomas  Tarbell,  originally  from  Groton,  Mass. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  321 

prepared  him  to  enter  that  world  where  there  is  no  weariness  or 
want,  and  all  sufferings  are  at  an  end.  I  have  journeyed  side  by 
side,  for  more  than  three-score  years,  with  our  friend ;  and  can 
say,  with  truth,  that  I  never  knew  him  guilty  of  a  dishonest  or 
dishonorable  act,  and  that  his  life  was  a  practical  exponent  of  his 
Christian  principles.  .1  pray  to  our  Father  to  make  me  more 
faithful  in  doing  the  work  our  friend  had  so  much  at  heart,  while 
I  can  do  it.  My  share  of  the  money,*  coming  from  his  estate,  I 
shall  wish  paid  over  to  the  Old  Ladies'  Home,  and  I  doubt  not 
brother  A.  will  wish  the  same  done  with  his  share.  This  appro 
priation  will  increase  our  friend's  happiness,  even  in  his  heavenly 
home ;  for  the  voice  from  Heaven  proclaims,  '  Blessed  are  the 
dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth  ;  that  they  may  rest 
from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow  them.'  ' 

The  editor  feels  some  delicacy  in  inserting  the  fol 
lowing,  from  a  gentleman  still  living,  and  in  our  own 
vicinity  ;  but  the  tribute  to  Mr.  Lawrence,  coming,  as 
it  does,  from  a  divine  so  distinguished  in  all  those 
qualities  which  adorn  his  own  profession,  as  well  as  for 
every  Christian  virtue,  is  too  flattering  to  be  omitted : 

"  ELMWOOD,  Sept.  3. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEXD  :  I  take  such  paper  as  happens  to  be 
near  me,  in  my  sick  chamber,  to  thank  you  for  the  books  and 
pamphlets,  which  I  have  read  as  much  as  my  dim  sight  and  weak 
nerves  will  allow  me  at  present  to  read.  I  wish,  when  you  write 
to  your  friend  Dr.  Hamilton,  you  would  thank  him  for  me  for  his 

*  This  was  a  debt  contracted  by  Mr.  T.,  in  1826,  amounting,  at  that 
time,  to  about  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  when  he  failed  in  business.     The 
amount  of  the  debt  was  soon  after  transferred  to  the  "  Old  Ladies'  Home." 
41 


322  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

eloquent  and  evangelical  appeals  for  Christian  truth  and  duty. 
Tell  him  I  am  a  Congregational  Minister  of  Boston,  but  no  sect 
arian  ;  that  I  was  matriculated  at  the  University  of  Edinburgh, 
fifty  years  ago,  and  studied  divinity  there  under  Drs.  Hunter, 
Micklejohn,  Moodie,  &c.,  and  moral  philosophy,  under  Dugald 
Stewart ;  —  that  my  particular  friends  were  David  Dickson,  since 
Minister  of  St.  Cuthbert's,  Edinburgh;  David  Wilkie,  since 
Minister  of  Old  Gray  Friar's  Church,  Edinburgh;  Patrick 
McFarlane,  since  Minister  in  Glasgow  and  Greenock ;  Thomas 
Brown,  since  Professor  of  Moral  Philosophy  at  Edinburgh ;  David 
Brewster,  since  Sir  David,  <fcc.  :  most  of  whom  he  probably 
knows.  Tell  him  I  should  be  glad  of  his  correspondence,  as  I 
have  that  of  his  friend,  Principal  Lee,  of  the  University  of  Edin 
burgh  ;  and  that  we  should  be  glad  to  see  him  in  Boston.  I  was 
happy  to  see  your  name  appended  to  a  petition  on  the  subject 
of  the  liquor  law,  though  I  always  expect  to  find  it  among  the 
advocates  of  every  benevolent  enterprise  within  your  reach.  Your 
visit  did  me  much  good.  I  have  much  valued  your  friendship, 
and  your  manifestations  of  respect  and  regard  for  me.  Heaven 
bless  you  and  yours,  and  make  you  more  and  more  a  blessing ! 
Come  and  see  me  when  you  can,  my  dear  friend.  With  much 
affection  and  respect, 

"  Your  old  friend,  CHARLES  LOWELL. 

"P.  S.  — I  write  with  a  feeble  hand,  dim  sight,  and  nervous 
temperament." 

In   enclosing   the   preceding  note  to   the  Eev.  Dr. 
Hamilton,  Mr.  Lawrence  writes,  Sept.  4  : 

"The  writer  of  the  foregoing  is  the  Bev.  Dr.  Lowell,  of  this 
city,  who  is  broken  down  in  health,  but  not  at  all  in  his  confidence 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  323 

and  hope  and  joy  in  the  beloved  Jesus.  Of  all  men  I  have  ever 
known,  Dr.  Lowell  is  one  of  the  brightest  exemplars  of  the 
character  and  teachings  of  the  Master;  for  all  denominations 
respect  him,  and  confide  in  him.  For  more,  than  forty  years  I 
have  known  him  ;  and,  in  all  the  relations  of  a  good  pastor  to  his 
people,  I  have  never  known  a  better.  I  have  met  him  in  the  sick 
chamber,  with  the  dying,  and  in  the  house  of  prayer.  In  the 
character  of  a  teacher,  and  a  leader  of  the  people  heavenward,  no 
one  among  us  has  been  more  valued.  Although  I  have  not  been 
a  member  of  his  church,  he  has,  in  times  of  great  urgency,  sup 
plied  our  pulpit,  and  has  always  been  ready  to  attend  my  family 
and  friends  when  asked.  I  sent  him  such  of  your  writings  as  I 
had  in  store  for  circulation,  <  The  Royal  Preacher '  among  them ; 
and  I  must  say  to  you  that  I  think  no  living  man  is  preaching  to 
greater  multitudes  than  you  are  at  this  day.  I  have  circulated 
tens  of  thousands  of  your  tracts  and  volumes,  and,  if  I  am  spared, 
hope  to  continue  the  good  work.  Millions  of  souls  will  be  influenced 
by  your  labors." 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

CORRESPONDENCE.  —  DIARY. 

(FROM  LADY  BUXTON.) 

"  NORTHRUPP'S  HILL,  Sept.  8,  1852. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  Again  I  have  to  thank  you  for  your 
kind  remembrance  of  me  in  your  note  and  little  book  on  the 
abuse  of  tobacco,  and  your  sympathy  with  me  in  my  late  deep 
anxiety,  ending  in  the  removal  of  my  most  tenderly  beloved  and 
valued  daughter  Priscilla.  It  pleased  God  to  take  her  to  himself 
on  June  18,  to  the  inexpressible  loss  and  grief  of  myself,  and  her 
husband  and  children.  We  surely  sorrow  with  hope  ;  for  she  had 
loved  and  followed  the  Lord  Jesus  from  her  childhood,  and  had 
known  and  obeyed  the  Holy  Scriptures,  which  did  make  her, 
under  the  influence  of  the  blessed  Spirit,  wise  unto  salvation. 
To  her,  to  live  was  Christ,  and  therefore  to  die,  gain ;  and  we  are 
thankful,  and  rejoice  for  her.  Her  spirit  is  with  the  Lord, 
beholding  and  sharing  his  glory,  and  reunited  to  her  dearest 
father,  brothers,  and  sisters,  and  many  beloved  on  earth,  in  joy 
unspeakable.  Still,  we  do  and  are  permitted  to  mourn.  *  * 

"  Priscilla  traced  the  foundation  of  her  illness  to  the  great  exer 
tion  she  used  in  revising  and  altering  her  father's  work  on  the 
remedy  for  the  slave-trade.  The  stress  upon  her  feelings  and 
mind  was  too  great  for  her  susceptible  nature.  I  believe  it  might 
be  traced  further  back  to  her  very  great  efforts  to  assist  her  father 
in  his  ^public  business ;  so  that  I  may  say,  I  have  had  to  part 

324 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  325 

with  the  two  most  beloved,  and  gifted  nearly,  I  have  ever  known, 
for  the  cause  of  God.  But  the  comfort  is  intense  that  they  can 
not  lose  the  abundant  recompense  of  reward  given  through  mercy 
and  favor,  not  for  any  merits  of  their  own,  to  those  who  love  and 
serve  the  Lord.  I  must  thank  you  most  warmly  again  for  the 
valuable  gift  of  '  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin.'  When  it  arrived,  it  was 
unknown  in  this  country ;  now  it  is  universally  read,  but  sold  at 
such  a  cheap  rate,  in  such  poor  print,  that  this  very  beautiful 
copy  is  quite  sought  after.  How  wonderfully  successful  a  work 
it  has  proved  !  I  hope  your  little  book  upon  tobacco  may  be  of 
use  here.  I  shall  send  it  to  my  grandsons  at  Rugby.  I  fear  you 
,  have  been  suffering  much  from  bodily  illness  and  infirmity,  my 
dear  friend.  I  trust  your  interesting  circle  about  you  are  all 
well  and  prospering,  and  enjoying  the  blessing  and  presence  of 
the  Saviour.  With  kindest  regards  and  affection,  I  am  yours  very 
sincerely,  H.  BUXTON." 

"  September  23,  1852. —  By  a  singular  coincidence,  at  the 
same  time  I  received  Lady  Buxton's  letter,  I  received  one  from 
*  Mrs.  Sunny  Side,'  *  from  her  sick  chamber,  asking  the  loan  of 
some  of  Miss  Edge  worth's  works  ;  also  a  note  from  Mrs.  Stowe, 
giving  me  some  information  respecting  the  publication  of  l  Uncle 
Tom's  Cabin '  in  England  and  Germany;  also  a  letter  from  our 
minister  in  Portugal ;  and,  three  or  four  hours  later,  *  Uncle 
Toby  '  called,  having  spent  the  day  in  the  Mather  School,  lectur 
ing  on  tobacco." 

From  a  letter  written  about  this  time,  an  extract  is 

*  Mrs.  Phelps,  wife  of  Professor  Phelps,  of  Andover,  and  daughter  of 
Professor  Stuart,  the  authoress  of  "  Sunny  Side,"  "  Peep  at  Number 
Five,"  and  other  popular  works. 


326  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

made,  which  is  interesting  as  showing   his  system  of 
diet  • 

"  My  own  wants  are  next  to  nothing,  as  I  live  on  the  most 
simple  food, —  crusts  and  coffee  for  breakfast ;  crusts  and  cham 
pagne  for  dinner,  with  never  more  than  three  ounces  of  chicken, 
or  two  ounces  of  tender  beef,  without  any 'vegetable,  together 
eight  ounces ;  coarse  wheat-meal  crusts,  and  two  or  three  ounces 
of  meat,  in  the  twenty-four  hours, —  beginning  hungry,  and  leav 
ing  off  more  hungry.  I  have  not  sat  at  table  with  my  family  for 
fifteen  years,  nor  eaten  a  full  meal  during  that  time,  and  am  now 
more  hale  and  hearty  than  during  that  whole  period." 

(TO   A   LADY    IN    FLORIDA.) 

"  BOSTON,  Oct.  14,  1852. , 

"  DEAR  MRS.  -  -  :  Your  deeply  interesting  note  reached  me 
within  the  last  half-hour  ;  and  I  feel  that  no  time  should  be  lost 
in  my  reply.  My  life  has  been  protracted  beyond  all  my  friends' 
expectations,  and  almost  beyond  my  own  hopes ;  yet  I  enjoy  the 
days  with  all  the  zest  of  early  youth,  and  feel  myself  a  spare 
hand  to  do  such  work  as  the  Master  lays  out  before  me.  This  of 
aiding  you  is  one  of  the  things  for  which  I  am  spared ;  and  I 
therefore  forward  one  hundred  dollars,  which,  if  you  are  not  wil 
ling  to  accept,  you  may  use  for  the  benefit  of  some  other  person 
or  persons,  at  your  discretion.  Your  precious  brother  has  passed 
on ;  and,  in  God's  good  time,  I  hope  to  see  him  face  to  face,  and 
to  receive,  through  the  Beloved,  the  '  Well  done '  promised  to 
such  as  have  used  their  Lord's  trusts  as  he  approves.  I  enclose 
you  Lieut.  -  — 's  letter  on  his  return  from  sea.  *  *  *  * 

"  I  had  a  charming  ride  yesterday  with  my  nephew  Frank 
Pierce,  and  told  him  I  thought  he  must  occupy  the  White  House 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  327 

the  next  term,  but  that  I  should  go  for  Scott.  Pierce  is  a  fine, 
spirited  fellow,  and  will  do  his  duty  wherever  placed ;  but  Scott 
will  be  my  choice  for  President  of  the  United  States.  God  bless 
you,  my  child,  and  have  you  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  in  these 
days  of  trial.  Your  friend,  A.  L.v 

(TO   THE   HON.    JONATHAN   PHILLIPS.) 

"  BOSTON,  Oct.  25,  1852. 

"  To  MY  RESPECTED  AND  HONORED  FRIEND  :  The  changing 
scenes  of  life  sometimes  recall  with  peculiar  freshness  the  events 
and  feelings  of  years  long  past ;  and  such  is  the  case  with  me, 
growing  out  of  the  death  of  our  great  New  England  statesman, 
•who  has,  for  a  long  period  of  years,  been  looked  up  to  as  preach 
ing  and  teaching  the  highest  duties  of  American  citizens  with  a 
power  rarely  equalled,  never  surpassed.  He  is  now  suddenly 
called  to  the  bar  of  that  Judge  who  sees  not  as  man  sees,  and 
where  mercy,  not  merit,  will  render  the  cheering  '  Well  done '  to 
all  who  have  used  their  trusts  as  faithful  stewards  of  their  Lord, 
—  the  richest  prize  to  be  thought  of.  Our  great  man  had  great 
virtues,  and,  doubtless,  some  defects ;  and  I  pray  God  that  the 
former  may  be  written  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen,  the  latter 
in  the  sea.  Here  I  begin  the  story  that  comes  over  my  thoughts. 

"  .M)out  forty  years  ago,  walking  past  your  father's  house, 
with  my  wife  and  some  of  our  family  friends,  on  a  bright, 
moonlight  night,  we  were  led  to  discuss  the  character  of  the 
owner  (your  honored  father)  ;  some  of  the  party  wishing  they 
might  possess  a  small  part  of  the  property  which  would  make 
them  happy,  others  something  else,  when  my  own  wish  was 
expressed.  It  was,  that  I  might  use  whatever  Providence  might 
allow  me  to  possess  as  faithfully  as  your  father  used  his  posses 
sions,  and  that  I  should  esteem  such  a  reputation  as  his  a  better 


328  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

inheritance  for  my  children  than  the  highest  political  honors  the 
country  could  bestow.  A  few  years  later,  I  was  visiting  Stafford 
Springs  with  my  wife,  and  there  met  you  and  Mrs.  P.,  and  first 
made  your  acquaintance.  Still  a  few  years  later,  I  became  per 
sonally  acquainted  with  your  father  by  being  chosen  a  Director 
of  the  Massachusetts  Bank,  he  being  President.  Still  later,  I 
became  more  intimate  with  yourself  by  being  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  with  you,  when  the  seceders  from  Williams  College 
petitioned  to  be  chartered  as  Amherst  College,  which  you  opposed 
by  the  best  speech  that  was  made ;  and  we  voted  against  the  sepa 
ration,  and,  I  believe,  acted  together  on  all  the  subjects  brought 
up  during  that  session.  Since  then,  which  is  about  thirty  years, 
I  have  been  a  successful  business  man,  although,  for  the  last  twenty 
years,  I  have  been  a  broken  machine,  that,  by  all  common  experi 
ence,  should  have  been  cast  aside.  But  I  am  still  moving  ;  and  no 
period  of  my  life  has  had  more  to  charm,  or  has  had  more  flowers 
by  the  wayside,  than  my  every-day  life,  with  all  my  privations. 
The  great  secret  of  the  enjoyment  is,  that  I  am  able  to  do  some 
further  work,  as  your  father's  example  taught  me,  when  the  ques 
tion  was  discussed  near  forty  years  ago.  Can  you  wonder,  then, 
my  friend,  that  I  wish  our  names  associated  in  one  of  the  best 
literary  institutions  in  this  country;  viz.,  Williams  College? 
My  interest  in  it  seemed  to  be  accidental,  but  must  have»  been 
providential ;  for  we  cannot  tell,  till  we  reach  a  better  world, 
what  influence  your  speech  had  in  directing  my  especial  atten 
tion  to  the  noble  head  of  the  college,  when  I  first  met  him  in  a 
private  circle  in  this  city ;  and,  since  then,  my  respect  for  his 
character,  my  love  for  him  as  a  man  and  a  brother,  has  caused 
me  to  feel  an  interest  in  his  college  that  I  never  should  have  felt 
without  this  personal  intercourse.  The  two  hundred  young  men 
there  need  more  teachers ;  and  the  college,  in  view  of  its  wants, 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  329 

has  appealed  tc  the  public  for  fifty  thousand  dollars,  to  place  it 
upon  an  independent  footing.     *     *     *     *     * 

"  There  is  money  enough  for  all  these  good  objects ;  and,  if 
our  worthy  citizens  can  only  be  made  to  see  that  it  •will  be 
returned  to  them  four-fold,  in  the  enjoyment  of  life  in  the  way 
that  never  clogs,  it  will  not  be  thought  presumptuous  in  me  to 
advise  to  such  investments.  From  long  observation,  I  am  satis 
fied  that  we  do  better  by  being  our  own  executors,  than  by  hoard 
ing  large  sums  for  our  descendants.  Pardon  me  for  thus  writing 
to  you  ;  but  knowing,  as  I  do,  that  the  college  has  commenced  its 
appeal  for  aid,  I  am  sure  you  will  excuse  me,  whether  you  con- 
tribute  to  its  aid  or  not.  With  great  respect,  I  am,  as  I  have 
always  been, 

"  Your  friend,  AMOS  LAWRENCE. 

"P.  S. —  If  you  wish  to  talk  with  me,  I  shall  be  rejoiced  to 
say  what  I  know  about  the  college." 

In  his  diary  of  the  same  date,  Mr.  Lawrence 
writes  : 

"6  P.'  M. —  My  good  old  friend  has  called  to  see  and  talk  with 
me,  and  a  most  agreeable  conversation  we  have  had.  He  ex 
pressed  good  wishes  for  the  college,  and  will  subscribe  a  thousand 
dollars  at  once,  which  is  a  cheering  beginning  in  this  city.  The 
interest  in  the  college  will  grow  here,  when  people  know  more 
about  it." 

"BOSTON,  Saturday  morning,  Nov.  13,  1852. —  The  circum 
stances  which  have  brought  me  the  following   letter  from  my 
valued  friend,  '  Honest  John  Davis,'  are  these  :  Many  years  ago, 
I   learned,  from   undoubted   sources,  that   his  pecuniary  losses, 
42 


330  DIARtf   AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

through  the  agency  of  others,  had  so  straitened  him  as  to  decide 
him  to  take  his  two  sons  from  Williams  College,  which  seemed  to 
me  a  pity  ;  and  I  therefore  enclosed  to  him  five  hundred  dollars, 
with  a  request  that  he  would  keep  his  boys  in  college,  and,  when 
his  affairs  became  right  again,  that  he  might  pay  the  same  to  the 
college  for  some  future  needy  pupils.  Two  or  three  years  after 
wards,  he  said  he  was  intending  to  hand  over  to  the  college  the 
five  hundred  dollars,  which  I  advised  not  to  do  until  it  was  per 
fectly  convenient  for  him.  The  circumstances  which  now  call 
him  out  are  very  interesting ;  and,-  to  me,  the  money  seems  worth 
ten  times  the  amount  received  in  the  common  business  of  life. 
Within  ten  minutes  after  Mr.  Davis's  letter  was  read  to  me,  Dr. 
Peters,  the  agent  of  the  college  to  collect  funds  for  its  necessities, 
called  in  to  report  progress  in  his  work.  I  immediately  handed 
over  the  five  hundred  dollars  from  John  Davis,  with  a  request 
that  he  would  acknowledge  its  reception  to  my  friend  at  once." 

"  WORCESTER,  Nov.  12,  1852. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  have  been  in  Boston  but  once  since  my 
return  from  Washington,  and  then  failed  to  see  you.  Neverthe 
less,  you  are  seldom  absent  from  our  thoughts ;  you  do  so  much 
which  reminds  us  of  the  duties  of  life,  and  fixes  in  our  minds 
sentiments  of  cherished  regard  and  unalterable  affection.  No  one 
can  desire  a  more  enviable  distinction,  a  more  emphatic  name, 
than  he  whom  all  tongues  proclaim  to  be  the  good  man  ;  the  irian 
who  comprehends  his  mission,  and,  with  unvarying  steadiness  of 
purpose,  fulfils  it.  There  is.  such  a  thing  as  mental  superiority, 
as  elevated  station,  as  commanding  influence,  as  glory,  as  honor ; 
and  these  are  sometimes  all  centered  in  the  same  individual ;  but, 
if  that  individual  has  no  heart :  if  humanity  is  not  mixed  in  his 
nature ;  if  he  has  no  ear  for  the  infirmities,  the  weaknesses,  'ind 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  331 

sufferings  of  his  fellow-beings, —  he  is  like  the  massive,  coarse 
walls  of  a  lofty  fortress,  having  strength,  greatness,  and  power ; 
but,  as  a  man,  he  is  unfinished.  He  may  have  much  to  excite 
surprise  or  to  overawe,  but  nothing  to  awaken  the  finer  sensibil 
ities  of  our  nature,  or  to  win  our  love.  The  divine  efflatus  has 
never  softened  the  soul  of  such  a  man.  The  heavenly  attributes 
of  mercy,  brotherly  love,  and  charity,  have  never  touched  his 
heart  with  sympathy  for  his  race.  He  forgets  that  a  fellow- 
being,  however  humble,  is  the  work  of  the  same  God  who  made 
him,  and  that  the  work  of  the  Almighty  has  a  purpose.  He  for 
gets  the  great  command  to  love  our  neighbor.  He  forgets  that 
all  who  are  stricken  down  with  disease,  poverty,  affliction,  or 
suffering,  are  our  neighbors ;  and  that  he  who  ministers  to  such, 
be  he  Jew  or  Samaritan,  is,  in  the  lofty,  scriptural  sense,  a 
neighbor.  Neither  the  hereditary  descent  of  the  Levite,  nor  the 
purple  of  the  priest,  makes  a  neighbor ;  but  it  is  he  who  binds 
up  the  bleeding  wound.  This  is  the  act  upon  which  Heaven 
places  its  seal  of  approval,  as  pleasing  in  the  sight  of  him  that  is 
perfect.  Where  there  is  an  absence  of  purity  of  heart  or  gener 
ous  sympathy,  the  man  lacks  the  most  ornate  embellishment  of 
character,  that  lustrous  brightness  which  is  the  type  of  heaven. 
To  minister  to  the  necessities  of  the  humble  and  lowly  is  the 
work  of  God's  angels ;  and  the  man  who  follows  their  example 
cannot  be  far  from  his  Maker.  You  have  the  means  of  doing 
good ;  but  have  what  is  greater,  and  a  more  marked  distinction, 
the  disposition  to  do  it  when  and  where  it  is  needed.  Your  heart 
is  always  alive,  and  your  hand  untiring.  ***** 

"  Some  years  ago,  you  did  that  for  me  and  mine  which  will 
command  my  gratitude  while  I  live.  I  needed  aid  to  educate  my 
children  ;  and  you,  in  a  spirit  of  marked  generosity,  came  un 
asked  to  my  relief.  I  neel  not  say  how  deeply,  how  sincerely 


332  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

thankful  I  was,  that  one,  upon  whom  I  had  no  claim,  should 
manifest  so  generous  a  spirit.  After  a  while,  times  changed 
somewhat  for  the  better ;  and,  feeling  that  I  was  able  to  do  it,  I 
asked  permission  to  restore  the  sum  advanced,  that  you,  to  whom 
it  belonged,  might  have  the  disposition  of  it,  since  it  had  per 
formed  with  me  the  good  that  was  intended.  You  kindly  gave 
me  leave  to  hand  it  over  to  the  college,  but  advised  me  to  take 
my  own  time,  and  suit  my  convenience.  That  time  has  now 
come ;  and,  as  you  are  again  extending  to  the  college  your  sus 
taining  arm,  and  may  wish  to  take  this  matter  into  the  account, 
I  herewith  .  enclose  a  check  for  five  hundred  dollars,  with  the 
renewed  thanks  of  myself  and  my  wife  for  the  great  and  gener 
ous  service  which  you  have  done  us.  We  shall,  in  all  respects, 
have  profited  greatly  by  it ;  and  have  no  wish  to  cancel  our 
obligations  by  this  act,  but  to  recognize  them  in  their  fullest 
extent.  I  am,  most  truly  and  faithfully, 

"  Your  friend  and  obedient  servant, 

"  JOHN  DAVIS." 

Some  inquiries  having  been  made  of  Mr.  Lawrence 
respecting  the  early  history  of  the  Bunker  Hill  Monu 
ment,  he  writes,  on  the  12th  of  November,  in  a  short 
note  : 

DEAR  SON  :  You  may  be  glad  to  copy  the  twelfth  section  of 
my  will,  executed  in  1833.  This  information  is  not  before  the 
world,  but  may  be  interesting  to  your  children.  I  could  have 
finished  the  monument,  sick  as  I  was,  at  any  time  before  Edmund 
Dwight's  death,  by  enlisting  with  him,  who  made  me  the  offer,  to 
join  a  small  number  of  friends  (three  Appletons,  Robert  G. 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 


333 


Shaw,  and  us  three  Lawrences),  without  saying,  c  by  your  leave/ 
to  the  public." 

"  Surety-ship  is  a  dangerous  craft  to  embark  in.  Avoid  it  as 
you  would  a  sail-boat  with  no  other  fastenings  than  mere  wooden 
pegs  and  cobweb  sails." 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

MR.  LAWRENCE  SERVES  AS  PRESIDENTIAL  ELECTOR.  —  GEN.  FRANK 
LIN  PIERCE.  — SUDDEN  DEATH.  —  FUNERAL. 

IN  November,  Eobert  Gr.  Shaw,  Esq.,  and  Mr.  Law 
rence,  were  chosen  Presidential  Electors  for  the  district 
in  which  they  resided.  Both,  at  that  time,  were  in 
the  enjoyment  of  their  usual  health,  and  yet  both  were 
removed  within  a  few  months  by  death.  The  Electoral 
College  was  convened  in  the  State  House  at  Boston,  in 
December  ;  and  Mr.  Lawrence  has  noticed  the  event  by 
a  memorandum,  endorsed  upon  his  commission  of  Elec 
tor,  as  follows  : 

"  December  1. —  I  have  attended  to  the  duty,  and  have  given 
my  vote  to  Winfield  Scott  for  President,  and  William  A.  Gra 
ham  for  Vice-President." 

He  did  not  add,  that,  before  leaving  the  State 
House,  he  gave  the  customary  fee  paid  in  such  cases 
towards  freeing  the  family  of  a  negro  from  slavery. 

But  little  is  found  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Law 
rence  for  the  month  of  December,  except  his  usual 
•"ecord  of  donations  to  charitable  objects.  He  seems  to 
nave  written  but  few  letters,  which  may  in  part  be 

334 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  335 

accounted  for  by  having  had  his  time  much  occupied 
by  a  most  agreeable  intercourse  with  Gen.  Franklin 
Pierce,  who,  with  his  family,  were  his  guests  during  a 
part  of  the  month.  That  gentleman  had  for  many 
years  been  on  terms  of  intiiraite  friendship  with  Mr. 
Lawrence,  and  had  kept  up  a  familiar  correspondence 
from  Washington  and  elsewhere,  which  no  political 
differences  had  abated.  He  had  always  been  a  favorite  ; 
and  now,  having  been  elected  to  the  Presidential  chair, 
and  engaged  in  plans  for  his  future  administration,  it 
may  be  imagined  what  interest  this  intercourse  excited 
in  Mr.  Lawrence,  deeply  concerned  as  he  was  in  every 
movement  that  tended  to  promote  the  political  and 
moral  welfare  of  the  country.  Many  excursions  were 
made  to  the  interesting  spots  and  charitable  institutions 
of  Boston  and  its  vicinity,  during  this  visit,  which  has  a 
melancholy  interest  from  the  events  which  immediately 
followed  it.  On  the  twenty-sixth,  General  and  Mrs. 
Pierce  left  Boston  for  their  home  at  Concord,  N.  H., 
with  the  intention  of  spending  a  few  days  with  their 
friends  at  Andover.  They  were  accompanied  by  their 
only  child  Benjamin,  a  bright  and  promising  boy, 
twelve  years  of  age,  whose  melancholy  death,  but  a 
few  days  afterwards,  will  give  an  interest  to  the  follow 
ing  note,  which  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Lawrence  in  acknowl 
edgment  of  a  little  token  of  remembrance  : 


336  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

"ANDOVER,  Dec.  27,  1852. 

"  BEAR  UNCLE  LAWRENCE  :  I  admire  the  beautiful  pencil 
you  sent  me,  .and  I  think  I  shall  find  it  very  useful.  I  shall 
keep  it  very  carefully  for  your  sake,  and  I  hope  that  I  may  learn 
to  write  all  the  better  with  it.  It  was  kind  in  you  to  write  such 
a  good  little  note,  too;  and  life  that  being  industrious  while  you 
were  young  enables  you  to  be  kind  and  benevolent  now  that  you 
are  old.  I  think  that  you  have  given  me  very  good  advice,  and 
I  hope  I  shall  profit  by  it.  So,  dear  uncle,  with  much  love  to 
aunt,  I  am 

u  Your  affectionate  nephew, 

UB.  PIERCE." 

The  brief  history  of  this  promising  boy,  who  exhib 
ited  a  maturity  and  thoughtfulness  far  beyond  his 
years,  is  soon  told.  Nine  days  afterwards,  in  company 
with  his  father  and  mother,  he  left  Andover  on  his 
return  home.  A  few  minutes  after  starting,  the  cars 
were  precipitated  down  a  steep  bank,  among  the  rocks, 
causing  the  instant  death  of  Benjamin,  and  bruising 
the  father  and  many  other  passengers  severely.  The 
accident  sent  a  thrill  of  sympathy  throughout  the 
Union,  and  cast  a  withering  blight  upon  the  prospects 
of  the  bereaved  parents,  which,  amidst  all  earthly 
distinctions,  can  never  be  forgotten,  and  which  has 
perhaps  rendered  more  irksome  the  great  and  unceasing 
responsibilities  of  high  official  station. 

u  Dec.  28. — I  sent  a  large  bundle  of  clothing  materials, 
books,  and  other  items,  with  sixty  dollars,  by  steamer  for  Bangor, 


AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  337 


to  Professor  Pond,  of  Bangor  Theological  Seminary,  for  the 
students.  Also  gave  a  parcel,  costing  twenty-five  dollars,  to 
Mrs.  -  —  ,  who  is  a  Groton  girl,  and  now  having  twins,  making 
twenty  children  :  is  very  poor. 

"  Dec.  30.  —  To  Professor  -  ,  by  dear  S.,  one  hundred 
dollars.  Books  and  items  to-day,  five  dollars." 

These  were  his  last  entries. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  above  date,  the  writer,  in 
his  usual  walk,  passed  Mr.  Lawrence's  door  with  the 
intention  of  calling  on  his  return,  but,  after  proceeding 
a  few  steps,  decided,  from  some  unaccountable  motive, 
to  give  up  the  accustomed  exercise,  and  pass  the  time 
with  his  father.  Mr.  Lawrence  appeared  in  excellent 
health  and  spirits  ;  and  nearly  an  hour  was  agreeably 
spent  in  discussing  the  topics  of  the  day.  He  seemed 
more  than  usually  communicative  ;  and,  although 
always  kind  and  affectionate,  there  was,  on  this  occa 
sion,  an  unusual  softness  of  manner,  and  tenderness 
of  expression,  which  cannot  be  forgotten.  The  last 
topic  touched  upon  was  the  character  of  a  prominent 
statesman,  just  deceased,  and  the  evidence  which  lie 
had  given  of  preparation  for  an  exchange  of  worlds. 
He  spoke  somewhat  fully  upon  the  nature  of  such  pre 
paration,  and  expressed  a  strong  hope,  that,  in  the 
present  instance,  the  exchange  had  been  a  happy  one. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  evening,  Mr.  Lawrence 
addressed  to  his  friend,  Prof.  Packard,  of  Bowdoin 
College,  the  following  note,  in  reply  to  some  questions 

43 


338  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

asked  by  that  gentleman  in  regard  to  the  Bunker  Hill 
Monument,  of  which  he  was  preparing  a  history  for 
publication  among  the  records  of  the  Maine  Historical 
Society : 

"  BOSTON,  December  30,  1852,  evening. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  Your  letter  of  Tuesday  reached  me  just 
before  my  morning  excursion  to  Longwood  to  see  our  loved  one 
there.  In  reply  to  your  first  query,  I  answer,  that  Mr.  E. 
Everett  presented  a  design  of  Bunker  Hill  Monument,  which  was 
very  classic,  and  was  supported  by  Col.  Perkins  and  Gen.  Dear 
born,  I  believe,  and  perhaps  one  or  two  more.  Young  Greenough 
(Horatio),  then  a  student  of  Harvard  College,  sent  in  a  plan  with 
an  essay,  that  manifested  extraordinary  talents,  and  was  substan 
tially  adopted,  although  the  column  was  amended  by  the  talents, 
taste,  and  influence  of  Loammi  Baldwin,  one  of  our  directors. 
The  discussion  of  the  model  was  very  interesting ;  and,  among 
the  whole  mass  of  plans,  this  of  Mr.  Everett  and  Mr.  Baldwin, 
or,  as  I  before  said,  a  modification  of  Greenough' s,  were  the  only 
ones  that  were  thought  of.  Mr.  Everett,  and  those  who  favored 
his  classic  plan,  were  very  cordial  in  their  support  of  the  plan  of 
the  monument  as  it  is,  very  soon  after  its  adoption.  Mr.  Ticknor 
was  very  active  in  support  of  the  plan  as  adopted ;  and  I  have  a 
strong  impression  that  young  Greenough' s  arguments  were  wholly 
just,  and,  abating  some  assertions  which  seemed  a  little  strong  for 
a  mere  college-lad,  were  true  and  unexceptionable.  I  write  from 
memory,  and  not  from  overlooking  the  plans  carefully  since  the 
time  they  were  considered.  Young  Greenough  I  felt  a  deep 
interest  in,  and  advanced  money  to  his  father  to  allow  him  to  go 
ajbroad  to  study,  which  has  been  repaid  since  his  father's  death. 
Here  I  have  an  interesting  story  to  tell  you  of  this  debt,  which  I 
wished  to  cancel,  that  the  widow  might  receive  the  amount.  Mr. 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  339 

Greenough  was  near  his  end,  and  deeply  affected,  but  fully  per 
suaded  that,  by  the  provisions  of  his  will,  his  widow  would  soorx 
have  an  ample  income,  and  declined  the  offer.  It  has  turned  out 
better  than  he  ever  anticipated.  The  books  shall  go  forward,  as 
you  requested.  All  our  family,  'kith  and  kin,'  are  pretty  well. 
The  President  elect  has,  I  think,  the  hardest  time,  being  over 
worked  ;  and,  as  we  are  now  without  any  one,  we  shall  be  rejoiced 
to  see  you  here.  Pray,  come.  I  shall  write  again  when  I  send 
the  '  red  book '  you  request. 

11  "With  love  to  all,  N.  and  I  join;  and  I  bid  you  adieu. 
"  From  your  friend, 

"AMOS  LAWRENCE. 

"  To  Prof.  PACKARD,  Brunswick,  Me." 

The  above  letter  was  folded,  directed,  and  left  upon 
his  table,  and  doubtless  contained  the  last  words  he  ever 
wrote. 

After  the  usual  family  devotions,  he  retired  at  about 
ten  o'clock,  and,  before  his  attendant  left  the  room, 
asked  a  few  questions  relating  to  the  situation  of  a  poor 
family  which  he  had  relieved  a  day  or  two  before. 
Mrs.  Lawrence  had  been  in  an  adjoining  room,  and,  on 
returning,  found  him  lying  quietly,  and  apparently 
engaged  in  silent  prayer.  She  did  not,  therefore,  dis 
turb  him,  but  retired  for  the  night  without  speaking. 
In  less  than  two  hours,  she  was  awakened  by  one  of  his 
usual  attacks.  Eemedies  were  applied  ;  but,  no  rally 
ing  symptoms  appearing,  the  physician  and  family  were 
summoned.  All  that  medical  skill  could  do  was  in 
vain  ;  and,  at  a  quarter  past  twelve,  on  the  last  day  of 


340  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

the  year,  he  quietly  breathed  his  last,  without  having 
awakened  to  consciousness  after  his  first  sleep. 

All  his  temporal  affairs  seemed  to  have  been  arranged 
in  view  of  this  event.  The  partnership  with  his  brother, 
which  had  existed  for  nearly  forty  years,  was  dissolved 
in  that  way  which  he  had  resolved  in  former  years 
should  alone  terminate  it.  From  various  prudential 
reasons,  however,  he  had  changed  his  opinion,  and  had 
decided  to  withdraw  from  all  business  relations,  and 
accordingly  furnished  the  advertisement,  which  was  to 
appear  on  the  next  day  in  the  public  prints,  announcing 
his  withdrawal.  Four  days  previous,  he  had  executed 
a  codicil  to  his  will ;  and  thus  seemed  to  have  settled 
his  concerns  with  the  closing  year.  The  summons  did 
not  find  him  unprepared  ;  for  it  was  such  as  he  had 
long  expected,  and  had  alluded  to  many  times  in  his 
conversation,  as  well  as  in  his.  letters  to  friends.  The 
plans  of  each  day  were  made  with  reference  to  such  a 
call.  Nor  can  we  doubt  that  he  was,  in  the  highest 
sense,  prepared  to  exchange  what  he  sometimes  was 
permitted  to  call  "  the  heaven  on  earth  "  for  that  higher 
heaven  where  so  many  of  his  most  cherished  objects  of 
earthly  affection  had  preceded  him.  On  the  morning 
of  his  death,  the  editor  found  upon  his  table  the  follow 
ing  lines,  which  had  been  copied  by  him  a  few  days 
previous,  and  which  are  the  more  interesting  from  being 
a  part  of  the  same  hymn  containing  the  lines  repeated 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  341 

by   his   wife  upon  her  death-bed,   thirty-three    years 
before  : 

"Vital  spark  of  heavenly  flame, 
Quit,  0,  quit  this  mortal  frame ! 
Trembling,  hoping,  lingering,  flying, — 
O,  the  pain,  the  bliss,  of  dying ! 
Cease,  fond  nature,  —  cease  the  strife, 
And  let  me  languish  into  life. 
Hark !  -  — " 

It  would  almost  seem  that  a  vision  of  the  angel- 
messenger  had  been  afforded,  and  that  the  sound  of  his 
distant  footseps  had  fallen  upon  his  ear ;  for,  with  the 
unfinished  line,  the  pen  thus  abruptly  stops. 

The  funeral  ceremonies  were  performed  on  Tuesday, 
the  4th  of  January.  A  prayer  was  first  offered  before 
the  body  was  taken  from  the  house,  in  the  presence  of 
the  family  and  friends  of  the  deceased,  by  the  Eev.  A. 
H.  Vinton,  D.D.,  Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church.  Public 
exercises  in  Brattle-street  Church  were  then  performed, 
in  the  presence  of  a  crowded  congregation,  composed 
of  the  numerous  friends  and  former  associates  of  the 
deceased,  clergymen  of  all  denominations,  and  large 
numbers  representing  the  various  professions  and  trades 
of  the  community. 

The  religious  services  were  conducted  by  three  of 
Mr.  Lawrence's  most  intimate  and  valued  friends, 
representing  three  different  denominations.  These 
were  the  Rev.  Dr.  Lothrop,  pastor  of  Brattle-street 
Church  ;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hopkins,  President  of  Williams 


342  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

College  ;  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Sharp,  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
Society  in  Charles-street.  A  beautiful  and  appropriate 
hymn  was  sung  by  the  members  of  the  Lawrence  Asso 
ciation,  from  the  Mather  School,  who  surrounded  the 
coffin,  and,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  hymn,  covered  it 
with  flowers.  The  body,  followed  by  a  large  procession 
of  mourning  friends,  was  then  conveyed  to  Mount 
Auburn,  and  deposited  by  the  side  of  the  loved  ones 
who  had  preceded  him,  and  under  the  shade  of  the 
"  Old  Oak/'  where  may  it  rest  until  summoned  to  the 
presence  of  that  Saviour  whose  example  and  precepts 
he  so  much  loved  on  earth,  and  through  whom  alone  he 
looked  for  happiness  in  heaven  ! 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

SKETCH  OF  CHARACTER  BY  REV.  DRS.  LOTHROP  AND  HOPKINS. 

THE  correspondence  in  the  preceding  pages  will, 
perhaps,  give  a  clearer  view  of  the  character  of  Mr. 
Lawrence  than  anything  which  can  be  adduced  by 
others.  It  may  not  be  amiss,  however,  to  quote  what 
has  been  written  by  two  of  his  most  intimate  friends, 
who  had  the  most  ample  means  of  forming  a  just  esti 
mate  of  the  man,  and  of  the  motives  by  which  he  was 
actuated.  Dr.  Lothrop,  in  his  sermon  preached  on  the 
Sunday  after  the  funeral,  says  : 

"I  have  intimated  that  Mr.  Lawrence  was  intellectually  great. 
I  think  he  was  so.  By  this,  I  do  not  mean  he  was  a  scholar  or 
learned  man,  with  a  mind  developed  and  disciplined  by  severe 
training,  and  enlarged  and  enriched  by  varied  culture  in  the 
various  departments  of  human  thought  and  study.  This,  we 
know,  he  was  not ;  although  he  was  a  man  of  considerable  read 
ing,  who  loved  and  appreciated  the  best  books  in  English  liter 
ature.  But  I  mean  that  he  was  a  man  of  great  native  vigor  of 
intellect,  whose  mind  was  clear,  strong,  comprehensive  in  its 
grasp,  penetrating,  far-reaching  in  its  observation,  discerning  and 
discriminating  in  its  judgments,  sagacious  in  its  conclusions :  a 
mind,  which,  if  enriched  by  the  requisite  culture,  and  directed  to 

843 


344  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

such  objects,  would  have  made  him  eminent  in  any  of  the  walks 
of  literary  or  professional  life,  as,  without  that  culture,  it  did 
make  him  eminent  in  those  walks  of  practical,  commercial  life  to 
which  he  did  direct  it.  I  mention  this,  not  to  dwell  upon  it,  but 
simply  because  some  who  have  known  him  little,  and  that  only 
since  disease  had  somewhat  sapped  his  strength,  may  not  do  him 
justice  in  this  respect.  Those  who  remember  his  early  manhood  ; 
who  saw  the  strong,  bold,  and  vigorous  tread  with  which  he 
walked  forward  to  his  rightful  place  among  the  merchants  of  the 
city ;  those  who  remember  the  sagacity  of  his  enterprises,  his 
quick  and  accurate  discernment  of  character,  and  the  commanding 
influence  he  exercised  over  others  j  the  ease  and  rapidity  with 
which  he  managed  the  concerns  of  a  large  commercial  establish 
ment,  and  decided  and  despatched  the  most  important  commercial 
negotiation,  —  these  will  be  ready  to  admit  that  he  was  intellect 
ually  a  strong  man.  To  the  last  this  vigor  of  intellect  showed 
itself;  if  not  always  in  his  conversation,  yet  always  in  his  letters, 
many  of  which  will  be  found  to  have  a  force  of  thought,  a  fulness 
of  wisdom  and  sound  judgment,  a  terse,  epigrammatic  compre 
hensiveness  of  expression,  of  which  no  man,  however  distinguished 
by  his  learning  and  scholarship,  would  have  need  to  be  ashamed. 
The  merchants  of  this  city  have  ever  been  distinguished,  I  believe, 
for  their  integrity  and  benevolence.  Nowhere  is  wealth  acquired 
by  a  more  honest  and  healthy  activity ;  nowhere  is  a  larger  por 
tion  of  it  devoted  to  all  the  objects  which  a  wise  philanthropy, 
an  extended  patriotism,  and  a  tender  Christian  sympathy,  would 
foster  and  promote.  Mr.  Lawrence  was  conspicuous  for  these 
qualities.  His  integrity,  I  may  venture  to  say,  stands  absolutely 
unimpeached,  without  spot  or  blemish.  His  history,  as  a  mer 
chant,  from  first  to  last,  will  bear  the  strictest  scrutiny.  Its 
minutest  incidents,  which  have  faded  from  the  memory  of  those 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  345 

concerned;  its  most  secret  acts,  those  of  which  no  human  eye 
could  take  knowledge,  —  might  all  be  brought  into  the  light 
before  us  ;  and  like  those,  I  trust,  of  many  of  his  fraternity,  they 
would  seem  only  to  illustrate  the  purity  and  integrity  of  his  prin 
ciples,  the  conscientious  regard  to  truth  and  right  and  justice 
with  which  he  conducted  all  the  negotiations  of  business,  and  all 
the  affairs  of  his  life.  He  seemed  ever  to  me  to  have  a  reverence 
for  right,  unalloyed,  unfaltering,  supreme ;  a  moral  perception 
and  a  moral  sensibility,  which  kept  him  from  deviating  a  hair's 
breadth  from  what  he  saw  and  felt  to  be  his  duty.  It  was  this 
that  constituted  the  strength  of  his  character,  and  was  one  of  the 
great  secrets  of  his  success.  It  was  this  that  secured  him,  when 
a  young  man,  the  entire  confidence,  and  an  almost  unlimited 
use  of  capital,  of  some  of  the  wealthiest  and  best  men  of  that 
day.  *  *  *  *  * 

"  The  prominent  feature  in  Mr.  Lawrence's  life  and  charac 
ter,  its  inspiration  and  its  guide,  was  religion ;  religious  faith, 
affection,  and  hope.  He  loved  God,  and  therefore  he  loved  all 
God's  creatures.  He  believed  in  Christ,  as  the  promised  Mes 
siah  and  Saviour  of  the  world ;  and  therefore  found  peace  and 
strength  to  his  soul,  amid  all  the  perils,  duties,  and  sorrows  of 
life.  *  *  *  *  * 

"  There  was  nothing  narrow  or  sectarian  about  Mr.  Lawrence's 
religious  opinions  or  feelings.  He  had  a  large,  catholic  spirit, 
which  embraced  within  the  arms  of  its  love,  and  of  its  pecuniary 
bounty  also  when  needed,  all  denominations  of  Christians  ;  and  it 
is  to  be  hoped  that  the  influence  of  his  example  and  character  has 
done  something,  and  will  continue  to  do  more,  to  rebuke  that 
bigotry  which  l  makes  its  own  light  the  measure  of  another's 
illumination.'  He  took  no  pleasure  in  religious  disputes  or  dis 
cussions.  The  practical  in  Christianity  was  what  interested  him. 
44 


346  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

His  great  aim  was  to  illustrate  his  faith  by  his  daily  walk,  and 
authenticate  his  creed  by  a  life  of  practical  usefulness,  constant 
benevolence,  and  cheerful  piety.  This  aim  he  successfully  accom 
plished,  to  the  conviction  of  persons  of  all  creeds  and  of  every 
name.  These  will  all  give  him  a  name  in  the  church  universal ; 
will  all  admit  that  he  was  a  noble  specimen  of  a  true  Christian,— 
a  loving  and  believing  disciple,  who  had  the  very  spirit  of  his 
Master.  That  spirit  pervaded  his  daily  life,  and  formed  the  moral 
atmosphere  in  which  he  lived  and  breathed.  It  quickened  in  him 
all  holy,  devout,  and  pious  affections  ;  gave  him  a  profound  rev 
erence,  a  cheerful  submission,  a  bright  and  glorious  hope, —  a 
hope  that  crowned  every  hour  with  gladness,  robbed  death  of  all 
terrors,  and,  in  his  soul,  brought  heaven  down  to  earth.'7 

The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  the  sermon, 
by  President  Hopkins,  before  the  students  of  Williams 
College, —  a  sermon  from  which  extracts  have  been 
already  made  : 

"  Having  thus  spoken  of  the  use  of  his  property  by  Mr. 
Lawrence,  I  observe  that  it  was  distinguished  by  the  three 
characteristics  which  seem  to  me  essential  to  the  most  perfect 
accomplishment  of  the  ends  of  benevolence,  and  that  in  two  of 
these  he  was  preeminent. 

"  The  first  of  these  is,  that  he  gave  the  money  in  his  life-time. 
No  man,  I  presume,  has  lived  on  this  continent,  who  has  approxi 
mated  him  in  the  amount  thus  given  ;  and  in  this  course  there  are 
principles  involved  which  deserve  the  careful  attention  of  those 
who  would  act  conscientiously,  and  with  the  highest  wisdom. 
There  may  doubtless  be  good  reasons  why  property  destined  for 
benevolent  uses  should  be  retained  till  death,  and  he  is  justly 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  347 

honored  who  then  gives  it  a  wise  direction ;  but  giving  thus  can 
not  furnish  either  the  same  test  or  discipline  of  character,  or  the 
same  enjoyment,  nor  can  it  always  accomplish  the  same  ends.  By 
his  course,  Mr.  Lawrence  put  his  money  to  its  true  work  long 
before  it  could  have  done  anything  on  the  principle  of  accumula 
tion  ;  and  to  a  work,  too,  to  which  it  never  could  have  been  put  in 
any  other  way.  He  made  it  sure,  also,  that  that  work  should  be 
done  ;  and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  its  results,  and  of  knowing 
that  through  it  he  became  the  object  of  gratitude  and  affection. 
So  doing,  he  showed  that  he  stood  completely  above  that  tendency 
to  accumulate  which  seems  to  form  the  chief  end  of  most  success 
ful  business  men ;  and  which,  unless  strongly  counteracted,  nar 
rows  itself  into  avarice,  as  old  age  comes  on,  almost  with  the 
certainty  of  a  natural  law.  He  did  stand  completely  above  this. 
No  one  could  know  him,  without  perceiving,  that,  in  his  giving, 
there  was  no  remnant  of  grudging  or  reluctance ;  that  he  gave, 
not  only  freely,  but  with  gladness,  as  if  it  were  the  appropriate 
action  of  a  vital  energy.  And  in  so  doing,  and  in  witnessing  the 
results,  and  in  the  atmosphere  of  sympathy  and  love  thus  created, 
there  was  a  test  and  a  discipline  and  an  enjoyment,  as  well  as  a 
benefit  to  others,  that  could  have  been  reached  in  no  other  way. 

"  The  second  peculiarity  in  the  bounty  of  Mr.  Lawrence,  and 
in  which  he  was  preeminent,  was  the  personal  attention  and  sym 
pathy  which  he  bestowed  with  it.  He  had  in  his  house  a  room 
where  he  kept  stores  of  useful  articles  for  distribution.  He  made 
up  the  bundle ;  he  directed  the  package.  No  detail  was  over 
looked.  He  remembered  the  children,  and  designated  for  each  the 
toy,  the  book,  the  elegant  gift.  He  thought  of  every  want,  and 
was  ingenious  and  happy  in  devising  appropriate  gifts.  In  this 
attention  to  the  minutest  token  of  regard,  while,  at  the  same  time, 
he  could  give  away  thousands  like  a  prince,  I  have  known  no  one 


348  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

like  him.  And,  if  the  gift  was  appropriate,  the  manner  of  giving 
was  not  less  so.  There  was  in  this  the  nicest  appreciation  of  the 
feelings  of  others,  and  an  intuitive  perception  of  delicacy  and  pro 
priety.  These  were  the  characteristics  that  gave  him  a  hold  upon 
the  hearts  of  many,  and  made  his  death  really  felt  as  that  of  few 
other  men  in  Boston  could  have  been.  In  this,  we  find  not  a  little 
of  the  utility,  and  much  of  the  beauty,  of  charity.  Even  in  his 
human  life,  man  does  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  sympathy 
and  the  play  of  reciprocal  affection,  and  is  often  more  touched  by 
the  kindness  than  by  the  relief.  Only  this  sympathy  it  is  that 
can  establish  the  right  relation  between  the  rich  and  the  poor ; 
and  the  necessity  for  this  can  be  superseded  by  no  legal  provision. 
This  only  can  neutralize  the  repellent  and  aggressive  tendencies 
of  individuals  and  of  classes,  and  make  society  a  brotherhood, 
where  the  various  inequalities  shall  work  out  moral  good,  and 
where  acts  of  mutual  kindness  and  helpfulness  may  pass  and 
repass,  as  upon  a  golden  chain,  during  a  brief  pilgrimage  and 
scene  of  probation.  It  is  a  great  and  a  good  thing  for  a  rich  man 
to  set  the  stream  of  charity  in  motion,  to  employ  an  agent,  to  send 
a  check,  to  found  an  asylum,  to  endow  a  professorship,  to  open  a 
fountain  that  shall  flow  for  ages  ;  but  it  is  as  different  from  sym 
pathy  with  present  suffering,  and  the  relief  of  immediate  want,  as 
the  building  of  a  dam  to  turn  a  factory  by  one  great  sluiceway  is 
from  the  irrigation  of  the  fields.  By  Mr.  Lawrence  both  were 
done. 

"The  third  characteristic  referred  to  of  the  bounty  of  Mr. 
Lawrence  was,  that  he  gave  as  a  Christian  man,  —  from  a  sense 
of  religious  obligation.  Not  that  all  his  gifts  had  a  religious 
aspect :  he  gave  gifts  of  friendship  and  of  affection.  There  was  a 
large  enclosure,  where  the  affections  walked  foremost,  and  where, 
though  they  asked  leave  of  Duty,  they  yet  received  no  prompting 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  349 

t 

from  her.  "Whether  he  always  drew  this  line  rightly ;  whether, 
in  the  measure  and  direction  of  his  charities,  he  was  always  right ; 
whether  so  much  of  diffusion  and  individuality  was  wise, —  it  is 
not  for  me  to  say.  Certain  it  is,  that  this  form  of  charity  holds  a 
place  in  the  church  now  less  prominent  relatively  than  it  did  in 
the  early  ages ;  and  it  may  be  that  the  proportions  of  Christian 
character,  in  portions  of  the  church,  need  to  be  remodelled  and  re 
cast  in  this  respect.  These  are  questions  for  each  individual.  It 
is  sufficient  to  know  that  Mr.  Lawrence  looked  the  great  doctrine 
of  stewardship  full  in  the  face,  and  prayed  earnestly  over  it,  and 
responded  to  it  practically,  as  few  have  done.  *'#*'-# 

"  Undoubtedly,  he  was  a  man  of  great  original  powers.  On  this 
point,  I  have  had  but  one  opinion  since  knowing  him.  His  mind 
was  not  speculative,  discursive,  metaphysical :  but,  in  the  high 
moral  qualities ;  in  decision  and  energy ;  in  intuitive  perception, 
and  sound,  practical  judgment ;  in  the  sensibility  and  affections, 
and  in  the  imagination, —  he  was  great.  Like  all  remarkable  men 
who  are  not  one-sided,  he  had  large  faculties,  which  found 
their  harmony  in  their  conflict,  or  rather  in  their  balance.  He 
was  quick  and  tender  in  his  feelings,  yet  firm ;  ardent  in  his  affec 
tions,  yet  judicious ;  large  in  his  gifts,  yet  discriminating ;  he  was 
a  keen  observer,  yet  kind  in  his  feelings ;  he  had  a  fertile  and 
shaping  imagination :  he  built  air-castles,  and  they  vanished,  and 
then  he  built  others  ;  but,  when  he  decided  to  build  anything  on 
the  ground,  it  was  well-planned  and  promptly  finished.  His  tastes 
were  natural  and  simple,  his  habits  plain,  and  his  feelings  always 
fresh,  genuine,  and  youthful.  Not  even  the  smell  of  the  fire  of 
prosperity  had  passed  on  him.  He  shunned  notoriety.  He  had  a 
strong  repugnance  to  all  affectation  and  pretence  and  misplaced 
finery.  A  young  man  with  rings  on  his  fingers  had  small  chance 
of  favor  or  employment  from  him.  He  was  impatient  of  talk  when 


350  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

action  was  called  for,  and  of  all  attempts  to  substitute  talk  for 
action.  His  command  over  the  English  language,  especially  in 
writing,  indicated  his  power.  Style  is  no  mechanical  product, 
that  can  be  formed  by  rules,  but  is  the  outgrowth  and  image  of 
the  mind ;  and  his  had  often  great  felicity  and  strength.  When 
he  wrote  under  the  impulse  of  his  feelings,  he  seemed  to  impreg 
nate  the  very  paper,  and  make  it  redolent  of  them.  He  loved 
nature ;  and,  instead  of  becoming  insensible  to  it  as  years  came 
on,  it  seemed  rather  to  open  upon  him  like  a  new  revelation.  It 
was  full  of  life  and  of  teaching,  and  the  charms  of  natural  beauty 
were  heightened  by  those  associations  which  his  quick  imagination 
connected  with  its  objects  and  scenes.  After  the  death  of  two  of 
his  children,  he  says :  '  Dear  S.  and  R.  speak  in  words  without 
sound  through  every  breeze,  and  in  every  flower,  and  in  the  fra 
grance  of  every  perfume  from  the  fields  or  the  trees.'  Years  ago, 
after  a  long  confinement,  with  little  hope  of  recovery,  he  visited, 
when  first  able  to  get  out,  the  Panorama  of  Jerusalem,  then  on 
exhibition  in  Boston,  and  remained  there  till  the  scene  took  full 
possession  of  his  mind.  Shortly  after,  on  a  fine  day,  he  rode  out 
to  Brookline ;  and,  as  returning  health  threw  over  those  hills  a 
mantle  of  beauty  that  he  had  never  seen  before,  they  were  imme 
diately  associated  in  his  mind  with  the  Panorama  of  Jerusalem, 
and  then  with  the  glories  of  the  Jerusalem  above.  This  associa 
tion  was  indissoluble,  and  he  would  take  his  friends  out  to  see  his 
'  Mount  Zion.'  In  1850,  he  says,  l  It  really  seems  to  me  like  the 
sides  of  Mount  Zion,  and  that  I  can  cling  to  them  as  I  view 
them.'  ***** 

"  He  was  a  deeply  religious  man.  His  trust  in  God,  and  his 
hope  of  salvation  through  Christ,  were  the  basis  of  his  character. 
He  believed  in  the  providence  of  God  as  concerned  in  all  events, 
^nd  as  discriminating  and  retributive  in  this  world.  He  felt  that 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  351 

he  could  trust  God  in  his  providence,  where  he  could  not  see. 
(  The  events  of  my  life,'  he  writes,  '  have  been  so  far  ordered  in  a 
way  to  make  me  feel  that  I  know  nothing  at  the  time,  except  that 
a  Father  rules ;  and  his  discipline,  however  severe,  is  never  more 
so  than  is  required.'  He  believed  in  the  Bible,  and  saw  rightly  its 
relation  to  all  our  blessings.  '  What,'  he  writes  again,  '  should 
we  do,  if  the  Bible  were  not  the  foundation  of  our  self-govern 
ment  ?  and  what  will  become  of  us,  when  we  wilfully  and  wickedly 
cast  it  behind  us  ? '  He  read  the  Bible  morning  and  evening  in 
his  family,  and  prayed  with  them ;  and  it  may  aid  those  who  are 
acquainted  with  the  prayers  of  Thornton,  in  forming  a  conception 
of  his  religious  character,  to  know  that  he  used  them.  Family 
religion  he  esteemed  as  above  all  price  ;  and,  when  he  first  learned 
that  a  beloved  relative  had  established  family  worship,  he  wept  for 
joy.  He  distributed  religious  books  very  extensively,  chiefly 
those  of  the  American  Tract  Society,  and  of  the  American  Sun 
day  School  Union.  *  *  *  *  Of  creeds  held  in  the  understanding, 
but  not  influencing  the  life,  he  thought  little ;  and  the  tendency 
of  his  mind  was  to  practical  rather  than  doctrinal  views.  He 
believed  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  a  Saviour,  and  trusted  in  him 
for  salvation.  He  was  a  man  of  habitual  prayer.  The  last  time 
I  visited  him,  he  said  to  me,  that  he  had  been  restless  during  the 
night,  and  that  the  only  way  in  which  he  could  '  get  quieted  was 
by  getting  near  to  God,'  and  that  he  went  to  sleep  repeating  a 
prayer.  During  the  same  visit,  he  spoke  strongly  of  his  readiness, 
and  even  of  his  desire,  to  depart.  He  viewed  death  with  tranquillity 
and  hope  and  preparation,  for  it  was  habitual  with  him.  What 
need  I  say  more  ?  At  midnight  the  summons  came,  and  his  work 
was  done." 


CHAPTER    XL. 

CONCLUSION. 

MR.  LAWRENCE  was  of  about  the  medium  height,  and, 
until  reduced  by  sickness,  was  erect  in  person,  and 
active  and  vigorous  in  his  movements.  The  expression 
of  his  countenance  was  mild  and  cheerful,  partaking  of 
that  benevolent  cast  which  one  would  have  been  led  to 
expect  from  the  tenor  of  his  daily  life.  His  affections 
were  warm,  and  his  feelings  quick  and  ardent.  His 
temperament  was  of  a  nervous  character,  thereby  in 
clining  him  to  impatience.  With  this  defect  he  had  to 
struggle  much  in  early  life.  It  is  related  of  him,  that 
he  once,  by  some  hasty  reply,  wounded  the  sensitive 
feelings  of  a  cherished  sister,  who  afterwards  died  ;  and 
so  much  did  he  regret  his  impatience,  that  he  made  a 
resolution  to  persevere  in  his  efforts  until  he  had  con 
quered  the  fault.  A  great  change  was  soon  remarked 
in  him  in  this  respect ;  so  much  so,  that  a  relative,  who 
passed  several  months  under  his  roof  during  his  early 
married  life,  was  surprised  at  not  seeing  the  least  evi 
dence  of  this  tendency.  During  his  latter  years,  when 
weakened  by  disease,  and  when  his  nervous  system  had 
been  shattered  by  his  violent  and  peculiar  attacks  of 

352 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  353 

illness,  he  had  more  difficulty  in  controlling  his  feelings 
and  expressions.  On  the  second,  sober  thought,  how 
ever,  no  one  could  have  been  more  ready  to  confess 
the  fault,  and  to  make  such  reparation  as  the  case 
demanded. 

His  daily  actions  were  guided  by  the  most  exalted 
sense  of  riglit  and  wrong  ;  and  in  his  strict  sense  of 
justice,  Aristides  himself  could  not  surpass  him.  He 
was  a  living  example  of  a  successful  merchant,  who  had, 
from  the  earliest  period  of  his  business  career,  risen 
above  all  artifice,  and  had  never  been  willing  to  turn  to 
his  own  advantage  the  ignorance  or  misfortune  of  others. 
He  demonstrated  in  his  own  case  the  possibility  of  suc 
cess,  while  practising  the  highest  standard  of  moral 
obligation.  He  had  ever  commanded  the  confidence  of 
those  around  him.  When  an  apprentice  in  his  native 
town,  many  of  his  customers  relied  upon,  his  judgment 
rather  than  their  own.  He  never  deceived  them,  and 
early  adopted  as  his  rule  of  life,  to  do  to  others  as  he 
would  have  them  do  to  him.  Thus  he  stood  high  in 
the  confidence,  as  well  as  in  the  estimation,  of  his  neigh 
bors.  What  "  Amos  "  said  was  right,  and  no  one  could 
gainsay. 

If  any  one  thing  was,  more  than  another,  the  means 
of  promoting  his  success  in  life,  we  should  say  it  was 
this  faculty  of  commanding  the  confidence  of  others 
To  this  can  be  traced  the  prosperity  of  his  earliest  busi 
ness  years  ;  and,  as  his  sphere  enlarged,  and  his  financial 

45 


354  DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE. 

operations  were  extended,  the  same  feeling  of  confidence 
gave  him  the  unlimited  command  of  the  means  of  some 
of  the  wealthiest  capitalists  in  New  England,  who, 
through  the  most  critical  seasons  in  the  mercantile 
world,  placed  implicit  confidence  in  the  house  of  which 
he  was  the  senior  partner. 

Mr.  Lawrence  had  no  fluency  in  conversation.  His 
mind  was  ever  active  ;  but  the  volume  of  thought  found 
no  corresponding  channel  of  utterance.  The  very  num 
ber  of  ideas  seemed  to  impede  the  power  of  expression. 

Had  his  talents  been  devoted  to  literary  or  scientific 
pursuits,  he  would  have  earned  distinction  by  his  pen. 
His  mind  was  not  of  that  logical  cast,  which,  from 
patient  reasoning,  can  deduce  effects  from  a  succession 
of  causes ;  but  arrived  at  its  conclusions  by  a  kind  of 
intuition,  somewhat  like  those  rare  instances  of  mathe 
maticians  who  solve  a  difficult  problem,  and  yet  can 
give  no  account  of  the  mental  process  by  which  the 
solution  has  been  reached. 

As  a  husband  and  father,  he  was  ever  kind  and 
affectionate.  He  was  domestic  in  his  tastes,  and  found 
his  greatest  enjoyment  in  his  home.  Here  he  was 
eminently  favored,  and  ever  found  the  warmest  sympa 
thy,  and  that  considerate  care  and  kindness  so  necessary 
in  latter  years  to  his  feeble  health.  No  one  who  has 
read  the  preceding  correspondence  can  have  failed  to 
see  the  interest  which  he  ever  took  in  all  that  concerned 
the  welfare  of  those  whom  Providence  had  committed 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  355 

to  his  keeping.  His  letters  to  his  children  would  fill 
many  volumes,  and  are  in  themselves  an  enduring  testi 
mony  to  his  fidelity  and  watchful  care  during  a  long 
series  of  years.  His  motto  was,  "  Line  upon  line,  pre 
cept  upon  precept ;"  and  thus  his  constant  aim  was  to 
impress  upon  their  minds  the  great  principles  of  religion 
and  morality.  No  parent  could  be  more  indulgent  when 
such  indulgence  was  consistent  with  the  true  welfare  of 
his  children,  or  more  resolute  in  denying  what  was 
hurtful.  Their  present  happiness  was  a  great  object  ; 
but  his  desire  for  their  ultimate  good  was  still  greater. 

As  a  friend,  he  was  most  faithful  and  sympathizing  ; 
and  many  now  living  can  testify  to  the  value  of  his 
friendship.  Few,  perhaps,  have  had  more  friends. 
Their  affection  for  him  was  not  founded  so  much  upon 
gratitude  for  his  constantly  recurring  favors,  as  upon 
the  warm  sympathy  and  affection  with  which  his  heart 
was  filled  toward  them  and  theirs. 

As  a  citizen,  his  views  were  comprehensive,  and 
were  bounded  by  no  lines  of  sectional  or  party  feeling. 
He  was  most  deeply  interested  in  all  that  concerned  the 
honor  and  prosperity  of  his  country,  and  keenly  sensi 
tive  to  the  injury  inflicted  by  such  measures  as  tended 
to  depreciate  her  standing  in  the  estimation  of  other 
nations,  or  of  good  men  among  her  own  citizens.  He 
was  a  true  patriot,  and  had  adopted  the  views  and  aims 
of  the  best  men  of  the  republic  in  former  days,  while 
he  viewed  with  distrust  many  of  the  popular  movements 


356  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

of  more  modern  times.  From  his  father  he  had  inher 
ited  the  most  profound  veneration  for  Gen.  Washington, 
and  faith  in  his  public  policy  ;  while  the  political  prin 
ciples  of  Alexander  Hamilton  and  John  Jay  were  those 
alone  by  which  he  thought  the  permanent  happiness 
and  prosperity  of  the  country  could  be  secured. 

As  a  Christian,  he  endeavored  to  walk  in  the  foot 
steps  of  his  Master.  He  had  no  taste  for  the  discussion 
of  those  minor  points  of  doctrine  upon  which  good  men 
so  often  differ,  but  embraced  with  all  his  heart  the 
revealed  truths  of  the  Gospel,  which  the  great  body  of 
Christians  can  unite  in  upholding.  He  sought  those 
fields  of  labor  where  all  can ,  meet,  rather  than  those 
which  are  hedged  in  by  the  dividing  lines  of  sect  and 
party. 

He  reverenced  the  Bible,  and,  from  the  first  chapter 
of  the  Old  Testament  to  the  last  chapter  of  the  New, 
received  it  as  the  inspired  Word  of  God.  This  was  his 
sheet-anchor  ;  and  to  doubt  was,  in  his  view,  to  leave 
a  safe  and  peaceful  haven,  to  embark  upon  an  unknown 
ocean  of  danger  and  uncertainty. 

Religion  was  for  him  a  practical  thing  for  every- day 
use,  consisting  not  so  much  in  frames  and  emotions  as 
in  the  steady  and  persevering  performance  of  the  daily 
duties  of  life.  His  view  of  duty  did  not  limit  him  to 
the  common  obligations  of  morality,  but  included  the 
highest  sense  of  duty  towards  God  ;  or,  as  he  has 
expressed  it  in  one  of  his  early  letters,  "to  be  a  moral 


DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE.  357 

man  merely,  is  not  to  be  a  Christian."  He  was  an 
active  helper  in  all  that  tended  to  promote  the  cause 
of  Christianity  among  nations,  as  well  as  to  promote 
spiritual  progress  among  individuals.  The  Christian 
banner,  in  his  view,  covered  many  denominations ; 
and,  with  this,  belief,  his  charities  were  directed  to  the 
building  up  of  institutions  under  the  influence  of  the 
various  sects  differing  from  that  under  which  he  himself 
was  classed. 

What  has  been  said  of  John  Thornton  might  be 
applied  to  him : 

"  He  was  a  merchant  renowned  in  his  generation  for  a  muni 
ficence  more  than  princely.  He  was  one  of  those  rare  men  in 
whom  the  desire  to  relieve  distress  assumes  the  form  of  a  master- 
passion.  Conscious  of  no  aims  but  such  as  may  invite  the  scrutiny 
of  God  and  man,  he  pursued  them  after  his  own  fearless  fashion, 
yielding  to  every  honest  impulse,  choosing  his  associates  in  scorn 
of  mere  worldly  precepts,  and  worshipping  with  any  fellow  - 
Christian  whose  heart  beat  in  unison  with  his  own,  however 
inharmonious  might  be  some  of  the  articles  of  their  respective 
creeds.  His  benevolence  was  as  unsectarian  as  his  general  habits  ; 
and  he  stood  ready  to  assist  a  beneficent  design  in  every  party, 
but  would  be  the  creature  of  none.  He  not  only  gave  largely, 
but  he  gave  wisely.  He  kept  a  regular  account  (not  for  ostenta 
tion,  or  the  gratification  of  vanity,  but  for  method)  of  every  pound 
he  gave.  With  him,  his  givings  were  made  a  matter  of  business, 
as  Cowper  says,  in  an  '  Elegy  '  .he  wrote  upon  him,  — 

'  Thou  hadst  an  industry  in  doing  good, 
Restless  as  his  who  toils  and  sweats  for  food  *  " 


358  DIARY    AND     CORRESPONDENCE. 

Those  who  ware  not  acquainted  with  Mr.  Lawrence 
might  suppose  that  his  long  continued  ill-health,  extend 
ing  through  a  period  of  twenty-one  years,  permitted  the 
formation  of  a  character  which  few  could  attain  who 
should  not  be  called  upon  to  pass  through  a  similar 
discipline. 

That  the  isolation  from  the  business-world,  and 
freedom  from  the  cares  and  struggles  of  active  life, 
to  which  most  men  are  subjected,  tended  to  give 
:im  a  more  just  and  dispassionate  view  of  his  rela 
tions  to  God,  as  well  as  to  his  fellow-men,  cannot  be 
doubted. 

The  peculiar  elevation  and  spirituality  of  mind  which 
he  acquired  must  not,  however,  be  looked  upon  as  the 
hot-bed  growth  of  the  invalid's  chamber  ;  but  rather  as 
the  gradual  development  of  a  character  whose  germ  was 
planted  far  back  in  the  years  of  childhood.  The  prin 
ciples  of  religion  and  truth  which  were  inculcated  by  a 
faithful  and  sensible  mother  upon  the  heart  of  the  child, 
shone  forth  in  all  the  events  which  marked  the  life  of 
the  future  man. 

Of  Mr.  Lawrence's  religious  opinions  respecting 
those  doctrinal  points  upon  which  Christians  are  divi 
ded,  the  writer  will  not  speak  ;  though,  from  repeated 
conversations  with  his  father  on  the  subject,  in  the 
hours  of  health  as  well  as  of  sickness,  he  might  con 
sistently  do  so.  Rather  than  make  assertions  which 
might  lead  to  discussion,  it  is  more  grateful  to  his  feel- 


DIARY    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  359 

ings  to  leave  the  subject  to  the  unbiassed  judgment  of 
those  who  shall  read  the  preceding  correspondence. 

Let  it  rather  be  the  aim  of  those  who  loved  and  hon 
ored  him  in  life  to  imitate  his  example,  now  that  he  is 
dead.  They  may  rejoice  that  they  were  permitted  to 
claim  as  a  relative,  and  to  have  daily  intercourse  with, 
one  who  has  exhibited,  in  such  an  abundant  degree, 
those  fruits  which  are  the  truest  and  best  evidence  of  a 
genuine  faith. 

In  completing  this  volume,  the  editor  feels  that  he 
has  fulfilled  a  sacred  trust ;  and  his  great  regret  is,  that 
the  work  could  not  have  been  undertaken  by  some  one 
more  fitted,  by  his  qualifications  and  past  experience, 
to  do  justice  to  the  subject.  For  reasons  given  in  the 
Preface,  this  could  not  be  ;  and  it  is,  therefore,  with 
great  diffidence  that  these  pages  are  submitted  as  a 
memorial  of  one  whose  life  and  character  deserve  more 
than  a  passing  record. 

If,  however,  what  has  been  done  shall  be  the  means 
of  directing  the  attention  of  those  for  whom  the  volume 
has  been  prepared  to  the  consideration  of  the  precepts 
here  recorded  ;  and,  above  all,  if  those  precepts  shall 
be  the  means  of  influencing  them  for  good  in  their 
future  course  in  life,  —  the  effort  will  not  have  been 
in  vain. 


INDEX. 


Abstinence,  total,   from  tobacco  and 
intoxicating    drinks,    by    Mr. 

Lawrence, 25 

Accounts,  benefit  of  keeping,  illustrated,  8  6 

Adams,  Amos, 44 

Adams,  Samuel, 140 

Advice,  letters  of,  to  Abbott  Lawrence, 

48—53 

Amherst  College,  effort  of  Mr.  Law 
rence  in  behalf  of, 243 

Amin  Bey,  letter  to,  from  Mr.  Lawrence,  285 
Anatomy,  views  of  Mr.  Lawrence  re 
specting  the  dissection  of  human 

bodies, 218 

Andre,  Major, 217 

Appleton,  Jesse, 190 

Appleton,  Mrs.,  death  of, 190 1 

Athengeum,  in  Boston,  Mr.  Lawrence's 

plans  for  benefit  of, 200 

Baldwin,  Loammi, 338 

Baltimore,  derangement  of  business  in,  73 
Bangor  Theological   Seminary,  dona 
tion  by  Mr.  Lawrence  to,   .    .    .310 
donation  for  students  in,    .    .    .    .337 
Banks,  suspension  of  in  1837,  ....  141 
Bible,  Mr.  Lawrence's  estimate  of  the,  257 
Birth-place,  attachment  to  expressed 

by  Mr.  Lawrence, 151 

of  Mr.  Lawrence,  engraving  of,   .  151 
Blagden,  George   W.,    note  from,  re 
specting  Rev.  Dr. ,  of  Scot 
land,      313 

letter  from  Mr.  Lawrence  to,     .    .  316  j 

Blake,  George, 84  i 

46 


Bondsmen,   advice  respecting  fathers 

becoming, 37 

Book-keeping  by  double  entry,  adopt 
ed  by  Mr.  Lawrence, 61 

Boston,  religious  controversy  in,  ...    55 
Mr.  Lawrence  elected  representa 
tive  of,  77 

wooden  buildings  in, 78 

post-office,  dead  letters  from,    .    .  154 
Bowdoin    College,    donation   by  Mrs. 

Lawrence  to, 244 

Brattle-street  Church,  Mr.  Lawrence's 

connection  with, 184 

Brazer,  James, 22,  221 

his  store  described, 23 

Bridgman,  Laura, 235 

Briggs,  George  N., 214,  281 

presentation  of  a  cane  to,  by  Mr. 

Lawrence, 227 

Brooks,  Peter  C.,  death  and  character  of,  263 
Buckminster,   J.    S.,   remains   of  re 
moved  to  Mount  Auburn  by  Mr. 

Lawrence, 175 

Bunker  Hill,  desire  of  Mr.  Lawrence  to 
retain  for  posterity  the  battle 
field,  99 

Bunker  Hill  Monument,  Mr.  Law 
rence's  interest  in, 84 

objection  to  a  lottery  for,  ....    91 

completion  of, 169 

Mr.  Lawrence's  agency  in  securing 

the  completion  of,     ...  170 — 174 
note  from  Mr.  Lawrence  respect 
ing  early  history  of, 332 


362 


INDEX. 


Bunker  Hill  Monument,  history  of  the 

plan  of, 338 

Burial-places,   Mr.   Lawrence's   views 

respecting, 129 

Business,  secret  of  Mr.  Lawrence's  suc 
cess  in, 145 

Buxton,   Lady,    letter  from,   to    Mr. 

Lawrence, 298 

letter  from,  to  Mr.  Lawrence,   .    .324 
Buxton,  Sir  Thomas  Fowell,      .    .    .    .298 

Cabot,  Samuel, 268 

Cambridge  Theological  School,  views 

respecting, 163 

Canada,  journey  of  Mr.  Lawrence  to,  .    89 

Canadian  Boat-song, 261 

Canfield,  Mr., 38 

Carroll,  Charles, 276 

Caswell,  Oliver, 235 

Chaplin,  Daniel, 18 

Chapman,  Jonathan, 192 

Charities,  memorandum  of,   ...    92 — 95 

proportion  of,  in  1835, 137 

money  for, 178 

"odds  and  ends  "for,    .   .    186—187 
correction  of  a  public  statement 

respecting  Mr.  Lawrence's,    .    .  198 
amount  expended  during  ten  years 

in, 311 

total  amount  expended  in,     .    .312 
Charity,  systematic,  inculcated  by  Mr. 

Lawrence, 118 

Children,  fondness  of   Mr.  Lawrence 

for, 225—226 

hospital  for,  founded  by  Mr.  Law 
rence,    230—233 

Christ,  object  of  his  death, 266 

Christmas,  Mr.  Lawrence's  view  of,  .    .    91 
Cobb,  Gershom,  introduces  book-keep 
ing  by  double  entry, 61 

Codman,  Dr., 253 

Colebrooke,  Lady, 217 

death  of, 304 

Colebrooke,  Sir  William,  letter  to,  from 

Mr.  Lawrence,      240 

letter  from  Mr.  Lawrence  to,     .    .  304 
Colonization  of  Africa,  aided  by  Mr. 

Lawrence, 299,  318 

Coneord,   Mr.  Lawrence's  account  of 

the  fight  in  1775  at,  ...  215—217 


Controversy,  religious,  in  Boston,    .   .    55 
Copartnership,  offer  of  Arnos  Lawrence 
to  dissolve,  —  declined  by  Ab 
bott  Lawrence, 47 

Copartnership  of  A.  &   A.  Lawrence 

dissolved  by  death, 340 

Cornhill-stroet,  store  of  Mr.  Lawrence 

in, 29 

Credit  system,  Mr.  Lawrence's  view  of,  35 
Cresson,  Elliott,  letter  to,  from  Mr. 

Lawrence, 299 

Darley,  Mrs., 39 

Darracott,  George, 172 

Davis,  John,  loan  of   $500   by  Mr. 

Lawrence  to, 330 

letter  from,  to  Mr.  Lawrence,  .    .330 

Dearborn,  H.  A.  S., 84,  338 

Debts,  Mr.  Lawrence's  promptness  in 

paying, 31 

Dexter,  Franklin,  estimate  of  his  argu 
ment  on  the  fugitive  slave  law,  287 

Dexter,  Madam,      75 

Diet  of  Mr.  Lawrence, 123,  326 

table  of,  kept  by  Mr.  Lawrence,  .  124 
Dorchester  Heights,  reflections  on,  .  .  140 
Drinking  habits  in  Mr.  Lawrence's 

early  days, 23 

Dwight,  Edmund, 332 

Dwight,  Louis, 308 

testimony  of  Mr.    Lawrence   re 
specting,   219 

Ellis,  Judge, 77 

Ellis,  Mrs.  Nancy,  marriage  of  Mr. 

Lawrence  to, 77 

Epicureanism,  Mr.  Lawrence's  notion 

of,      124 

European    fashions,    introduction    of 

discountenanced, 90 

Everett,  Edward, 172,  338 

Expenditures,   by  Mr.   Lawrence,    in 

1849, 278 

from  1842  to  1852, 311 

Fac-simile  of  Mr.  Lawrence's   hand 
writing,    248 

Family  worship,   Mr.  Lawrence's  re 
marks  on, 150 

Farwell,  Captain, 17,  301 

Fillmore,  Millard, 256 

Foreign  gold,  exchange  of  negotiated,    75 


INDEX. 


363 


Fraternal  affection,  example  of,  .  .  .147 
French  Revolution  of  1830,  Mr.  Law 
rence's  sympathy  with,  ....  101 
Fugitive  slave  law,  Mr.  Lawrence's 

opinion  of  the, 287 

Funeral  ceremonies  at  the  death  of 

Amos  Lawrence,  ....  341,  342 

Gannett,  Ezra  S.,  letter  to, 45 

Gannett,  Caleb, 45 

Gannett,  Mrs.,  hymn  for  her  little  boy  by,  46 

Goddard,  N., 76 

Granger's  Coffee  House, 38 

Gray,  Mrs.  Martha,  present  from  Mr. 

Lawrence  to, 214 

Gray,  Robert,  214 

Green,  Wm.  L.,  death  of, 251 

Greenough,  Horatio, 338 

Greenwood,  Rev.  Dr., 123 

Groton,  scenery  in, 152,  153 

Groton  Academy,  donations  of  Mr. 

Lawrence  to,  preamble  of  the 

deed, 221 

amount  of  donations  to,  by  Mr. 

Lawrence, 222 

donations  of  $45,000  by  William 

Lawrence  to, 222 

extract  from  address  at  jubilee  of,  223 
Gurney,  Hannah  (see  Buxton,  Lady),  299 
Haddock,  Charles  B.,  letter  from  Mr. 

Lawrence  to, 305 

Hallock,  Rev.  Mr., 279 

Hamilton,  James,  letters  from  Mr. 

Lawrence  to,  ....  269,  279,  322 
letter  from,  to  Mr.  Lawrence,  .  .293 

Hancock,  John, 140 

Harris,  Colonel, 268 

Harvard  College,  donation  of  $50,000 

by  Abbott  Lawrence  to,  ...  244 
Heaven,  reunion  of  friends  in,  ...  157 
Ilillsborough  Bank,  Mr.  Lawrence's 

draft  on  for  specie,  .  .  .  .  36,  37 

Hone,  Isaac, 76 

Hone,  Philip, 76 

Hopkins,  Mark,  President  of  Williams 

College, 341 

letters   to,  from   Mr.  Lawrence,   124, 

183,  213,  214,   255,   257,  258, 

259,   265,   272,   280,   285,   292 

lectures  in  Boston, 182 


Hopkins,  Mark,  extract  from  his  ser 
mon  on  death  of  Mr.  Lawrence,  287 
peculiarities   of    Mr.  Lawrence's 
bounty  sketched  by,   .    .    346 — 360 

Howe,  Dr., 235 

Hubbard,  Judge, 253 

Hubbart,  Tuthill, 154 

Hulsemann,    Chevalier,    interview   of 

Mr.  Lawrence  with, 158 

Immigration  from  Europe,  Mr.  Law 
rence's  view  of, 258,  270 

Income,  net,  of  Mr.  Lawrence  in  the 

first  two  years, 36 

practice  of  spending  it,  adopted 

by  Mr.  Lawrence, 263 

Intoxicating  liquors,  total  abstinence 

from,  by  Mr.  Lawrence,     ...    25 
Ireland,  Mr.  Lawrence's  contributions 

to  the  famished  in,     ...  236,  238 
Johnson  School,  donation  to,  by  Mr. 

Lawrence, 224 

Kast,  Dr., 302 

Kent,  Chancellor, 76 

ride  with  —  character  of,  ....  158 
Kenyon  College,  aid  to  by  Mr.  Lawrence,177 
Lafayette,  General,  Mr.  Lawrence's 

opinion  of, 84 

message  to,  .    . 96 

Lothrop,  Samuel  K.,    .  122,  138,  175,  342 
extract  from  his  sermon  on  the 

death  of  Mr.  Lawrence,     .   .   .  185 
sketch  of  character  of  Mr.  Law 
rence  by, 343—346 

Lawrence,  Abbott, 30,  131,  138 

letters  to,  48,  49,  51,  52,  55,  56,  72, 
73,  189,  244,  266,  267 
becomes  partner  with  Amos,     .    .    38 
character  as  an  apprentice,    ...    38 
declines  offer  to  dissolve  copart 
nership,    47 

sails  for  Europe, 48 

his  dispatch  of  business,    ....    52 
his   military  service  in  the   last 

war  with  Great  Britain,     .   56,  295 
donation  of  $50,000  to  Harvard 

College, 244 

candidate  for  the  Vice-Presidency,  256 
tendered  the  office  of  Secretary 
of  the  Navy, 266 


364 


IN  DEX 


Lawrence,  Abbott,  appointed  Minister 

to  the  Court  of  St.  Jarnes,  .    .  269 

his  popularity  in  Great  Britain,  .  295 

likeness  of, 295 

Lawrence,  Mrs.  Abbott, 280 

Lawrence,  Amos,  when  and  where  born,  15 

ancestry  of, 15 

early  instruction  of, 20 

his  mechanical  skill  in  boyhood,  .  20 

anecdote  of  his  school -days,  ...  22 

enters  Groton  Academy,     .    .    .•  .  22 

becomes  a  merchant's  clerk,  ...  22 
adopts  the  principle  and  practice 

of  total  abstinence, 24 

wounded  by  a  gunshot, 26 

apprenticeship  terminated,    ...  28 

accepts  a  clerkship  in  Boston,  .    .  29 

commences  business  in  Boston,     .  29 

his  boarding-house  rule,    ....  30 

his  promptness  in  paying  bills,     .  31 

motive  for  daily  study, 32 

his  remarks  on  letter-writing,  .    .  32 
his  .distinction  between  morality 

and  religion, 34 

his  mercantile  principles,  ....  35 

view  of  the  credit  system,     ...  35 

net  income  of  first  two  years,   .    .  36 
advice  against  parents  becoming 

bondsmen  for  their  sons,    ...  37 

his  opinion  of  the  theatre,    ...  39 
assists   to   establish   his  brother 

William  in  business, 39 

flying  visits  to  Groton, 40 

alarming  illness, 40 

engagement  of  marriage,  ....  43 

marriage, 46 

offer  to  dissolve  copartnership  de 
clined,  47 

letter  on  the  death  of  his  sister,  .  54 
letter  on  the  birth  of  his  daugh 
ter,    57 

recommends  marriage, 57 

domestic  attachments, 60 

adoption     of    book-keeping     by 

double  entry, 61 

leniency  to  unfortunate  debtors,  .  61 

second  alarming  illness,     ....  62 
resignation    in    prospect   of    his 

wife's  death, 64 


Lawrence,  Amos,  tour  through  the  Mid 
dle  States, G8 

appreciation  of  the  right  of  suffrage,  70 
delegate  to  assist  in  settlement  of 

Jared  Sparks, 71 

becomes  an  inmate  of  his  broth 
er's  family, 74 

negotiates  an  exchange  of  foreign 

gold, 75 

narrow  escape  from  shipwreck,     .    75 

second  marriage  of, 77 

resumes  housekeeping,  ....  77 
representative  in  the  Legislature,  77 
letter  to  Mr.  Wolcott  respecting 

his  son, 78 

becomes  a  manufacturer,  ....  79 
curtailment  of  his  business,  ...  81 
extent  of  his  correspondence,  .  .  83 

opinion  of  Lafayette, 84 

interest  in  Bunker  Hill  Monument,  84 

journey  to  Canada, 89 

objection  to  European  fashions,  .  90 
objection  to  a  lottery  for  Bunker 

Hill  Monument, 91 

presentation  of   plate  to  Daniel 

Webster, 102,  103 

dangerous  illness  of, 105 

feelings  in  sickness,    .     10G,  107,  111 
visit  to  New  Hampshire,    .    .    .    .109 
his  life  in  a  sick  chamber,    .    .    .112 
his  submission  under  divine  chas 
tisements,     112—114 

inculcates  systematic  charity,  .    .118 

secret  of  his  success, 118 

exercise  on  horseback, 122 

his  diet, 123 

improvement  of  health,  .  .  .  .125 
avoids  the  appearance  of  evil,  .  .126 
his  views  of  burial-places,  .  .  .129 
advice  about  selecting  a  wife,  .  .  130 
advice  to  his  daughter,  .  .  .  131,  132 
gratitude  towards  his  mother,  .  .135 

visit  to  Washington, 138 

aversion  to  matrimonial  specula 
tions,     138 

estimate  of  Congressional  debates,  139 
visit  to  Bainsford  Island,  ....  139 
reflections   on  completing  thirty 
years  of  business, 141 


INDEX 


365 


Lawrence,  Amos,  pecuniary  condition, 

January  1st,  1838, 142 

habits  of  promptness, 144 

prospects  on  December  31st,  1838,  146 
reflections  on  the  death  of  his 

brother, 149 

advocates  family  worship,  .  .  .  150 
engraving  of  his  birth-place,  .  .  151 
character  in  the  bestowal  of  gifts,  153 
enjoyment  of  natural  scenery, 

155, 156 

belief  in  reunion  of  friends  here 
after,  157 

annoyances  arising  from  his  rep 
utation  for  benevolence,  .  .  .  159 

his  religious  belief, 160 

interest  in  a  young  colored  law 
yer,  165—6 

reflections     on     his     fifty-eighth 

birth-day, 167 

his  agency  in  securing  comple 
tion  of  Bunker  Hill  Monu 
ment,  170—174 

poetical  toast  to, 174 

renders  aid  to  Kenyon  College,     .177 
acquaintance  with  Pres.  Hopkins,  182 
presents  sent  to  President  Hop 
kins,    183—4 

his  aversion  to  public  commenda 
tion  of  himself, 189,  229 

advice  respecting  his  grandchil 
dren,  191 

opposes  annexation  of  Texas,  .    .  192 
joy   at     birth    of    twin     grand 
daughters,    193 

letter  on  death  of  his  daughter, 

194—196 

sentiments  in  view  of  his  pros 
perity,  197 

his  view  of  keeping  the  Sabbath,  202 
offer  of  his  remains  for  the  dissect 
ing-room,     218 

his  interest  in  the  Johnson  School,  224 

fondness  for  children, 226 

provides  a  hospital  for  sick  chil 
dren,  230 

his  gratitude  for  prosperity,  .    .    .  234 
contributes   to   the    famished   in 
Ireland, 236 


Lawrence,   Amos,  his  application  in 

behalf  of  Amherst  College,  .    .  242 
congratulates   Abbott    Lawrence 
on   his   donation    to    Harvard 

College, 244 

his  attendance  at  church,  ....  246 
his  exactness  in  business,  ....  247 
kindness  to  an  old  debtor,  .  .  .  248 
fac-simile  of  his  hand-writing,  .  248 
sentiments  respecting  a  religious 

awakening  in  college,    .    .  255,  312 
objects   to   his   brother's    taking 
political  office,  .  256—257,  258,  266 

estimate  of  the  Bible, 257 

prefers  Gen.  Taylor  for  President,  258 
treatment  of  an  applicant  for  aid,  260 
joy  at  a  revival  of  religion  among 

Unitarians, 267 

interview  with  Father  Mathew,  .  270 
adds  a  codicil  to  his  will,  .  .  .  .271 

illness, 272 

desire  for  death, 272 

keeps  Christmas  with  children,    .  277 

circulates  Dr.  Hamilton's  works,  279, 

291,  292,  294 

lameness,      281 

attentions  to  children, 292 

circulates  Buxton's  Life,  ....  298 
cancels  a  note  for  $500  against  a 

clergyman, 300 

interest  in  Wabash  College,  .    .   .309 
controversy  with  a  Scotch  clergy 
man,    313—315 

his  ground  of  religious  hope,  .  .316 
circulates  Uncle  Toby's  Stories  on 

Tobacco, 319 

his  diet, 326 

prefers  Scott  for  President,  .  .  .327 
solicits  aid  for  Williams  College, 

from  Jonathan  Phillips,  .  .  .328 
relieves  the  straitened  circum 
stances  of  Gov.  Davis,  ....  330 
chosen  presidential  elector,  .  .  .  333 
votes  for  Scott  and  Graham,  .  .  334 
intercourse  with  Franklin  Pierce,  335 

his  last  writing, 339 

death  of, 340 

funeral  ceremonies,  ....  341,  342 
sketches  of  his  character,  .  .  .  .343 


366 


INDEX. 


Lawrence,  Amos,  personal  appearance,  352 
character  of  John  Thornton  ap 
plied  to, 357 

general  character,  ....    352 — 359 

Lawrence,  Amos  A., 288 

Lawrence,  Arthur, 235 

Lawrence,  John,      15 

Lawrence,  Luther,  value  of  his  property,  30 
Speaker  of  House  of  Representa 
tives,    148 

Mayor  of  Lowell, 148 

death  of, 148, 149 

Lawrence,  Robert,  illness  of,    ....  205 
letters  of  Mr.  Lawrence  respect 
ing,   206—210 

Lawrence,  Samuel,  Sen., 30 

account  of, 16 

sketch  of  his  military  career,  .  17,  18 
Lawrence,  Samuel,  presentation  of  a 

gold  box  to,  by  Mr.  Lawrence,  235 
Lawrence,  Mrs.  Sarah,  illness  of,      .   .    62 

letter  to  her  husband, 63 

her   condition   described  by  Mr. 

Lawrence, 64 

death  of, 65 

her  death-bed  scene  described,    65 — 6 
Lawrence,  Mrs.  Susanna,  character  of,    19 

death  of, 199 

Lawrence,  William, 30,  252 

commences  business  in  Boston,    .    39 
donations  of  $45,000  to  Groton 

Academy  by, 222 

death  and  character  of,      .     261,  262 
Lawrence  Association,  in  the  Mather 

School,  note  to, 237 

contributions  for  Ireland  by,    .    .  238 
presentation  of  a  silver  cup  to 

Mr.  Lawrence  by, 277 

hymn    sung  at  funeral   of   Mr. 

Lawrence  by, 342 

Letsom,  Dr.  C., 302 

Letters  from  Amos  Lawrence,  ....    47 

to  a  friend,  17,  57,  70,  73,  126,  130, 

157,  186,  187,  190,  201,  215, 

245,  246,  252,   262,   267,   283 

to  Ms  son,  20,  30,  85,  99,  100,  101, 

112,  114,  115,  124,  152,  190, 

194,  200,   205,   206,   207,  332 

to  a  college  student, 24,  25 


Letters  to  Gen.  Henry  Whiting,  .  30,  273, 

276 

to  a  sister,  32,  33,  42,  68,  71,  73,  130, 
166,  145 

to  Dr.  Gannett, 45 

to  Abbott  Lawrence,  48,  49,  51,  52, 
55,  56,  72,  73,   189,  244,  266,  267 

to  his  wife, 52,  63,  126 

to  a  brother, 54,  68 

to  his  mother-in-law, 63 

to  his  sister-in-law,      .    .    .    .  69,  112 

to  Frederic  Wolcott, 78 

.  to  his  eldest  son,  abroad,  83,  87,  90, 

91,  96,  98,  103,  106 

to  his  second  son,  at  Andover,  86,  117, 

118,  125 

to  Daniel  Webster, 97,  102 

to  his  mother,  106, 107, 109, 110, 134, 
141 

to  his  daughter,   119,  127,  \29,  131, 
133,  150,  152 

to  his  youngest  son, 143 

to  his  sisters, 149, 151 

to  a  connection, 149 

to  his  second  son,  in  Europe,  .  .154 
to  Rev.  Charles  Mason,  .  .  .  .155 
to  Rev.  Robert  Turnbull,  D.D.,  .  1GO 
to  Hon.  Robert  C.  Winthrop,  .  .  165 

to  General  , 168 

to  Mr.  Parker  (a  partner),  .  177,  204 
to  the  Mechanic  Apprentices'  Li 
brary  Association, 181 

to  President  Hopkins,   183,  213,  214, 

255,  257,  258,  259,  265,  272, 

280,  285,  292 

to  his  partners, 196,  245 

to  his  children  in  France,  .    .    .    .196 

to  his  grandson, 209 

to  R.  G.  Parker, 224,  229 

to  Gov.  Briggs, 227 

to  Alexander  S.  McKenzie,  .  .  .234 
to  J.  A.  Stearns,  for  Lawrence 

Association, 237 

to  Madam  Prescott, 239 

to  Sir  Wm.  Colebrooke,     .    .  240,  304 

to  a  wealthy  bachelor, 242 

to  Prof.  Packard, 243,  338 

to  Mr.  G , 251 

to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Green,    ....  252 


INDEX. 


367 


Letters,  to  a  physician, 253 

to  a  newspaper  editor, 257 

to  Kev.  James  Hamilton,  D.D.,   269, 
279,  294,  29G,  322 

to  his  sons, 272 

to  Robert  Barnwell  Rhett,     .    .    .274 
to  a  country  clergyman,    ....  280 

to  an  aged  clergyman, 292 

to  Elliott  Cresson, 299 

to  Lady  Buxton, 300 

to  a  lady  in  Philadelphia,     .    .    .301 
to  Charles  B.  Haddock,    ....  305 

to  Rev.  Dr.  Scoresby, 307 

to  Rev.  Geo.  W.  Blagden,  D.D.,  .  316 
to  a  friend  in  South  Carolina,  .    .317 

to  Benjamin  Seaver, 320 

to  a  lady  in  Florida, 326 

to  Jonathan  Phillips, 327 

Levelling,  Judge  Story's  maxim  of,    .  266 
Loan  of  money  to  Mr.  Lawrence  by 

his  father, 36 

Lowell,  Charles,  letter  to  Mr.  Law 
rence  from, 321 

Lowell,  John, 78 

Lunatic  Asylum,  plan  for  the  new,  .    .  308 
Manufactures,    engagement    of    Mr. 

Lawrence  in, 79 

largeness  of  his  interest  in,  .    .    .  104 

fluctuations  in, 236 

views  of  Mr.  Lawrence  respect 
ing  coarse  and  fine, 275 

Marriage  of  Amos  Lawrence,  ....    46 

Mason,  Charles, 193 

letter  from  Mr.  Lawrence  to,  .    .155 

Mason,  Jeremiah, 109,  117 

remarks  of,  on  Rev.  Dr.  's 

lectures, 219,  220 

death  and  character  of,     .    .  261,  262 
Mason,  Mrs.   Susan,   Mr.   Lawrence's 

letter  on  the  death  of,  .    .  194—196 
Massachusetts  General  Hospital,  place 
of    Trustee    resigned  by   Mr. 

Lawrence, 116 

Mather  School,  character  of,    ....  276 

Mathew,  Father, 270 

Matrimonial  speculations,  aversion  of 

Mr.  Lawrence  to, 138 

Maxims    of    business  —  speculation 

condemned, 72 


Mollvaine,  Charles  P.,  letter  from,  to 

Mr.  Lawrence, 1T7 

McKenzie,   Alexander    S.,   letter  to, 

from  Mr.  Lawrence, 234 

present  of  a  cane  to  Mr.  Law 
rence  from, 260 

death  of, 261 

Means,  James,  extract  from  address 
at  jubilee  of  Groton  Academy, 

by, 223 

Means,  Robert, 77 

Mercantile  principles  adopted  by  Mr. 

Lawrence, 35 

"  Milo,"  arrival  of  ship, 52 

Money,  advice  about  spending,    .   .    .  143 
Morality    and     religion,    Mr.    Law 
rence's  distinction  between,  .    .    34 
Mortgage  of  his  father's  farm,    ...    36 
Mount  Auburn,  interest  taken  in,  by 

Mr.  Lawrence, 175 

National  character,  reflections  upon, 

133,  134 
Native    Americans,    Mr.    Lawrence's 

view  of, 199 

Natural  History  Society,  donation  to, 

by  Mr.  Lawrence, 231 

Old  Ladies'  Home,  donation  to,  by  Mr. 

Lawrence, 321 

"  Old  Oak,"  in  Mount  Auburn,   .  207,  208 

Paine,  Robert  Treat, 38 

Parker,  C.  H.,  letter  to, 177 

Parker,  Daniel  P.,      268 

Parker,  R.  G.,  letter  from  to  Mr.  Law 
rence,    225 

Parker,  Susanna, 16 

Parkman,  Messrs., 37 

Percy,  Lord, 217 

Perkins,  Thomas  H., 338 

Pestilence,  Dr.  Shattuck's  account  of 

the, 40—42 

Phelps,  Mrs., 325 

Phillips,  Jonathan,  letter  from  Mr. 
Lawrence  to,  respecting  aid  to 

Williams  College, 327 

donation  from,  to  Williams  Col 
lege,  229 

Pierce,  Benjamin,  son  of  President 
Pierce,  note  from,  to  Mr.  Law 
rence, 336 


368 


INDEX. 


Pierce,  Benjamin,  sudden  death  of,     .336 
Pierce,  Franklin,  character  of,    .  318,  326 
his  intercourse  with  Mr.  Lawrence,  335 
Pitcairn,  Major,  account  of  his  death,  302 
removal  of  his  remains  to  Eng 
land,     303 

Pitcairn,  William, 302 

Pond,  Rev.  Dr., 310 

Prayer  adopted  by  Mr.  Lawrence,  .    .  248 

Proscott,  General,       17 

Madam,  note  from  Mr.  Lawrence 

to, 239 

her  views  on  the  comforts  of  old 

age, 239 

Presidential    Elector,    Mr.    Lawrence 

chosen  in  1852, 334 

Prince,  Martial, 268 

Property,  memorandum-book  of  Mr. 

Lawrence  respecting  his,    ...    80 

Prudhoe,  Lord, 217 

Rainsford  Island,  visit  to,  and  descrip 
tion  of  scenery, 139 

Religion.    (See  Morality.) 

its   cultivation  urged    upon   his 

daughter, 119—121 

Representative,  Mr.  Lawrence  elected,    77 
Richards,  Giles,  his  card  manufactory,    44 
Richards,  Sarah,   Mr.  Lawrence's  en 
gagement  of  marriage  with,  .    43 

Richardson,   Captain, 22 

Sabbath,    Mr.    Lawrence's    view    of 

keeping  the, 202 

Savings  Institution.     (See  Athenscurn. ) 
Scenery,    Mr.   Lawrence's   enjoyment 

of, 155,  156 

Scoresby,  Wm.,  letter  from  Mr.  Law 
rence  to, 307 

Sea-serpent  seen  at  Hampton  Beach  in 
1830,  Mr.  Lawrence's  belief  in 

the, 100 

Mr.    Lawrence's    belief    in    the 

existence  of  the, 268 

Sectarianism,  Mr.  Lawrence's  freedom 

from, 161 

Sharp,  Daniel, 253,  342 

letters  from,  to  Mr.  Lawrence,  .  176, 
203,  282 
Shattuck,  George  C.,  his  account  of 

the  New  England  pestilence,  40 — 42 


Shaw,  Robert  G., 333,  334 

Shipwreck,    narrow    escape    of    Mr. 

Lawrence  from, 75 

Slavery,   views  of  Mr.  Lawrence  on 

questions  of, 275 

view  of  its  tendencies, 318 

contribution  for  freeing  a  negro 

from, 334 

South  Carolina,  manufactures  in,  en 
couraged  by  Mr.  Lawrence,  .    .  275 
Sparks,  Jared,  Mr.  Lawrence  a  dele 
gate  to  assist  in  the  settlement  of,  71 

Story,  Joseph, 169 

letter  from,  to  Mr.  Lawrence,  179,  180 
his  maxim  of  "  levelling,"    .    .    .  266 

Stone,  John  S.,      123 

letter  from  to  Mr.  Lawrence,     .162 

Stowe,  Harriet  Beech er, 325 

Strachan,  Lady, 237 

Stuart,  Moses,  letter  of  thank?  from,  .  263 

Sullivan,  William,      84' 

Tarbell,  Thomas,  tribute  to  the  mem 
ory  of,  320 

Taylor,  Father, 123 

Zachary,  preferred  for  President 

by  Mr.  Lawrence, 258 

Tennett,  Mr., 38 

Texas,  letter  of  Mr.  Lawrence  to 
Mayor  Chapman,  on  the  an 
nexation  of, 192 

Ticknor,  George, 338 

Tobacco,  total  abstinence  from,  by  Mr. 

Lawrence, 25 

book  against,  circulated  by  Mr. 

Lawrence, 319 

letter  respecting  use  of,     ....  319 
Touro,  Judah,  his  donation  for  Bun 
ker  Hill  Monument, 173 

Turnbull,    Robert,   letter    from    Mr. 

Lawrence  to, 160 

Uncle   Tom's   Cabin,   Lady   Buxton's 

testimony  respecting,     .    .    .    .325 
Unitarianism,  Mr.  Lawrence's  opinion 

of, 246,  247 

Van  Schaick,  M., 76 

Vinton,  Alexander  H., 341 

Wabash  College,  donation  from  Mrs. 

Lawrence  to, 309 

Ward,  General, 140 


INDEX. 


369 


Ware,  Henry,  Jr., 163 

Warren,  John  C., 84,170,218 

Washington,  General, 44 

celebration  of  his  birth-day,     .    .116 
Webster,    Daniel,    letter    from    Mr. 

Lawrence  respecting,    .   .   .  68,  69 
Mr.  Lawrence's  view  of  his  speech 

in  reply  to  Hayne, 97 

letter  to  Mr.  Lawrence  from,    .   .    97 
letter  to,  from  Mr.  Lawrence,  ac 
companying  a  presentation  of 

plate, 102 

letter  from  to  Mr.  Lawrence,    .   .  103 
remarks  on  his  address  at  Plym 
outh,     208 

view  of   his    character  by  Mr. 

Lawrence, 327 

of  his  preparation  for  death,     .    .  337 
White,  Charles,  account  of  his  play, 

the  "Clergyman's  Daughter,"  38,  39 
White,  Charles,  President  of  Wabash 

College, 309 


Whiting,  Henry,  clerk  to  Mr.  Law 
rence,    29 

Will  of  Amos  Lawrence,  codicil  to,    .271 
Williams  College,  Mr.  Lawrence's  in 
terest  in, 182 

donation  of  $10,000  to,  by  Mr. 

Lawrence, 197 

donation  of  $5,000  by  Mr.  Law 
rence,   for   a   library  building 

at,      213 

enlargement  of  library  building 

proposed,      215 

scholarships    established    in,  by 

Mr.  Lawrence, 245 

account  of  Mr.  Lawrence's  bene 
factions  to, 287—291 

donation  to,  by  Jonathan  Phil 
lips,  329 

Winship,  Dr., 302 

Wolcott,  Frederic,  letter  to,  from  Mr. 

Lawrence, 78 


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